Dreams of Life
by Maplez12
Summary: Manai Yume is a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student at Teikō Middle School. Yume is a reserved and softspoken girl due to her past. She drew a clear line between her and others and she doesn't particularly stands out. Yume is especially keen on picking up emotions and people's personalities. Entering Teikō, Yume's fated meeting is about to change her life.OCxGOM !Teikō
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Dreams as high as the sky goes.

Dreams for the possibilities are infinite.

Dreams and no one can chained you down.

 _You are free,_ **to dream**.

"Do you know why I name you 夢?" A woman in her early twenties smiles as she hugged closer the tiny figure in her laps.

The little girl just blinks her soft-limegreen orbs at the question posed by her mother.

The lady smiles gently as she nuzzled her chin to her daughter's unsuspecting crown.

"It's because I want you to be free. To dream and not limited by reality and what's in front of you."

"To reach for the impossible, believing it possible."

She smiles as she lovingly stroke her daughter light-honeyamber locks.

She then tightened the hug as she closed her eyes, recalling her memories.

"...And to live your life, like a _dream_." She smiled wistfully, seeing past the curtains and the windows.

"That is my wish for you, _Yume..._ "

* * *

Author's note :

Hi there! This is my new KnB story and no, I'm not forgetting Rainbow Drops.

Tell me your thoughts on the first chapter~

Read and Reviews~


	2. Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Dreams

_Summary:_

 _Manai Yume is a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student at Teikō Middle School. Yume is a reserved and softspoken girl due to her past. She drew a clear line between her and others and she doesn't particularly stands out. Yume is especially keen on picking up emotions and people's personalities. Entering Teikō, Yume's fated meeting is about to change her life._

I'm starting a new story here, but I'm not abandoning Rainbow Drops either. I'm doing this for fun and so I could take a break and back refreshed and probably with more ideas for Rainbow Drops. So yeah, I'll still be updating Rainbow Drops in the regular schedule. I just wanted to give this story a try. The OC is just interesting to write and is almost the opposite of Yuki from Rainbow Drops.

I haven't decided the pairings yet, but it's going to be with one of the GOM or Teikō's students. Since the Teikō days are not mostly revealed, this story will most likely be non-canon, but also with the additions of the revealed canon.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - The Beginning of Dreams**

It's Spring in Japan.

The vivid sceneries of Spring and the distinct blooming cherry blossoms filled the street, bringing the season of beginnings.

Many _beginnings_ start in Spring, including the start of the new academic school year.

If you're a first year student, then this must be an important day for creating the best first impression amongst your peers.

Also a first year student, a girl wakes up at 6.00 o'clock sharp to prepare for her Middle School Entrance Ceremony.

Her light-honeyamber locks waft gently as she folds her blanket and tuck it neatly by the corner of her bed. She then walks to her bathroom and takes a nice warm shower.

As she walks out to her room, her newly arrived spring uniform for girls lies neatly on her bed.

She slides on her lightblue longsleeved shirt over her undergarments, button it up to the collar and tied the darkblue lace into a simple ribbon. She then took her skirt, slid it on and zipped it closed, the skirt is black in colour, simple, with a white streak slightly above the hem. The last set of the uniform is the white blazer with the school logo emblazoned on the left side.

The girl dons her complete uniform as she sees her reflection in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her uniform to smooth the visible creases.

After deciding she's ready, she took her cellphone besides her bed and stuffed it into her school bag. She walk past the hanger where she normally hangs her key, took the key in hand and stepped out of her apartment. She locked her apartment before putting her key into her school bag.

The walk to her Middle School isn't far, about two to three blocks away from her apartment, a reasonable distance for Japanese students to commute by walking.

* * *

 **Teikō Junior High**

 **帝光中学校**

* * *

Teikō Junior High had many booths lined up on the sides after the school gate. It's most likely the after-school club activities stands where the second years and third years promote their clubs. The booths are currently empty, the students in charge are not there, yet.

The girl blinks her soft hues of limegreen orbs as she takes in the surroundings she will frequently be in for the next three years of middle school.

Teikō Junior High _strongly_ encourages their students to have at least one after-school club activities.

Despite that, the girl walks past the booths without taking particular notice of any.

If asked why, the reason is because the girl is not included in the mentioned 'students'.

The girl is a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student of Teikō Junior High.

This status gives her many privileges such as exemption from both school fees and mandatory participation in at least one after-school club activities, also an unlimited access to the school library.

In reality, the brunette _isn't_ exactly a genius. She's above average at most, but she takes her studies seriously and never skips reviewing her lessons every day after school ends.

The library and its books are also the girl's constant friends. The serene ambience surroundings the place has is just enticing for the brunette, inviting her to stay for as long as she likes.

Teikō's auditorium is huge and magnificent, befitting its reputation. Seats are neatly lined up for the freshmen and also some seats by the sides for teachers and school staffs.

The girl sits on the middle row at the very end seat as she is not particularly fond of being sandwiched by the crowds, hoping she could slip out easily later when the ceremony ends.

Many seats are still empty, only a few early students are present and thus the quiet atmosphere.

Out of those few students, at the first row, there's a vibrant, eye-catching green tuft belonging to a boy.

'He's sitting at the very front line... _exactly_ in the middle..' The girl noted as she blinked with disbelief.

There's _many_ empty seats. Yet, the boy is sitting at the exact middle and at the very front. It's _obviously_ **not** a coincidence.

'Is he a perfectionist or something? He must be the strict type that follows his beliefs to a T...' The brunette couldn't help but conclude that way.

Perhaps, she should keep her distance from said boy. Out of the students here, he stood out, and not exactly in the best way.

If the greenette stood out, then there's one student who's the **opposite**.

Before sitting at her seat, the girl managed to spot another early and peculiar student sitting at the very back row. A boy with a weak presence.

He was so lacking in presence that it seems he could just fade away any moment. The boy had a pretty, babyblue locks and he's burying his nose in his book.

'He must have like reading.' The brunette smiled a bit at that.

One who buries themselves with books, had the doors to infinity opened before them. The girl believes that.

After about 15 minutes of waiting, students finally filled the hall, chattering sounds of the room occupants make it hard for the girl to focus on the ceremony.

"Ehem." A man in his fifties to sixties with a suit cleared his throat as he stood by the podium. He's the Principal.

"I am the Principal of Teikō Junior High, Kobayashi Hideyoshi." Kobayashi smiled as he stood with pride. "I would like to welcome all freshmen to Teikō Junior High where you will be spending your three years."

"Teikō Junior High prides itself with the brilliant achievements, ranging from academics to after-school club activities."

"100 battles, 100 victories." The man paused as he glanced over the freshmen. "This is Teikō Junior High's motto."

"All of you here should be proud for being accepted to Teikō. You have all passed the strict and difficult tests."

"You are all personally selected from your peers, and you are at least a step higher than them."

"The fact that you're here, sitting in this hall is the definite proof that you all possessed the qualities and potentials above your peers."

"You are all here to outshine all the rest and prove your worth."

"Teikō Junior High, all teachers and school staffs are all here to help you achieve and realise that possibilities."

"Finally, I would like to say, have a fulfilling three years at Teikō Junior High."

 ***CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP***

A loud roars of applauses salute the Principal's speech. All of the freshmen had a _proud_ look on their faces as they clapped.

On the other hand, the girl just clapped her hands in silence, her expressions indifferent.

To be frank, the brunette is not quite sure about putting herself above her peers, she didn't want to stand out and wishes for a quiet three years.

The girl knows of Teikō motto before applying, and to be perfectly honest, it doesn't appeals to her. The reason why she applied to Teikō, is because Teikō Middle School is _irrefutably_ a school with a prestigious pedigree with vast connections to Nationally Recognised High Schools and Universities.

Her future is the reason why she decided to apply at Teikō. She never plans to get too involved with the school itself.

"And now, let us welcome the freshmen with the best entrance scores. Please take the stage." The Principal spoke as he stepped aside and sat in the back seat on the stage.

She looks up and sees a boy from first row stood up and walks to the stage, going up the stairs and to the podium.

The way the boy carries himself spells his distinguished pedigree and high-ranking standing in society.

Despite realising that fact, she looks more interested in the boy's crimson-red locks, that seems to gleam with brilliance, a colour of passion.

'His eyes...they're the same colour. They're _beautiful_...' She thought in wonder, those orbs look entrancing with the authority it emits.

However, at the same time, she couldn't help but notice the hidden depth behind those shining orbs. What lies under those depth, she wouldn't know.

The boy smiles charmingly as he started his speech. "Good day to you all, Principal, teachers and fellow freshmen."

"It is an honour to be here, standing before you all. I thank the Principal for his kindness to let me stand here."

The boy then continues, saying that he's proud of the school motto and that he will surely meet their expectations.

She tones out from then as the boy went on and on about the school, meeting expectations, the greatness and _bla bla bla_.

The girl doesn't really wishes to hear anything about standing above the rest. She just wants to attend school peacefully without any dramas. She had _better_ things to do. More _important_ things she can't skip. Things she _can't_ leave.

The ceremony ends with thunderous applauses as the freshmen then dispersed to look for their class placements.

The brunette slips out of the crowd, and passed by the noticeboard for class placements. She also noticed that there's an _incredibly_ tall boy, sticking out like a sore thumb in the crowds before the noticeboard.

She is awe-struck that a Japanese freshmen in middle school can reach that height.

'That's _amazing_... Though, I had to wonder.. Is he really Japanese..?' The boy's bold lavender locks had Yume honestly doubts his ethnicity.

Today, school will only be for half-day, with class introductions in, and then off to look for club activities.

Even so, the brunette was told that she can skips the class introduction and being exempt from after school activities.

So she went directly to her sanctuary, the library.

'Library' is written on the small wooden board above the door. She slides the door open, and she can see that there's no one inside.

She then wanders around and took books that interest her. Then she went on reading.

Books have always been her friends. They would provide her knowledges, feed her curiosities and fill the void in her heart.

Our heroine is not a people-person, but she knows how to keep proper relationships between her peers.

People are difficult. They all had a mind of their own, a desire to satisfy and just frankly troubles.

Whereas, books, with their pages after pages, would only give her a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, happiness even. She loves to bask in knowledges.

After finishing her fifth and last book, she notices that it's now almost 11.00 and school ends at 12.00.

She stood up and returns the books to the shelf. She took a deep breath before stepping out the library and she walk passed the quiet corridors and towards the loud school grounds.

The girl walks to the school noticeboard which is now desolated, the crowd of students have now dispersed and gathered around the school clubs booths.

* * *

 _ **Manai Yume**_ **1-B**

* * *

Yume couldn't care less about her class since she didn't have anyone she knows in Tokyo. Yume's primary school is in Kyoto, she lived there with her maternal grandparents. Due to certain things, Yume decided to go to Tokyo for her middle school and thus she applied for Teikō.

Yume sighed as she walked away from the noticeboard. She needed to find something to do other than reading in the library. She'll be here for the next three years, of course, Yume needs to know all the school had to offer for her.

 ***CRASH***

"Owie!"

Yume is now on the ground, on her butt. She, or rather, _someone_ , bumped into her. That someone is the one who let out a small yelp.

"Ow! I'm really sorry!" The one who bumps into Yume is on her knees, a pretty girl with a beautiful shade of Sakura locks.

Yume smiles as she offered her hand to help the both of them back on their feet, the girl accepted her hand and she quickly bowed.

"I'm really really sorry! I was in a hurry to get something my childhood friend left in the classroom, and I didn't notice you there..!" Now that the girl is bowing, Yume can see that it's another freshman bumps into.

"It's fine. There's no harm done." Yume offered a small smile, indicating she really doesn't mind.

The other girl lifts her head at that as she smiles gratefully before extending her hand.

"I'm sorry about that. My name is Momoi Satsuki, a freshman from 1-B."

Yume is sure the girl is not a bad person, but she _just_ had to doubt. Nevertheless, Yume knows better than to be rude to her fellow classmates.

Yume then took Momoi's hand as they shake. "It's okay. My name is Manai Yume, also a freshman, from 1-B as well."

" _Reallllllly?!_ " Momoi squealed as she smiled wider. "We're classmates!"

Momoi looks excited, whereas Yume just offered a small smile as a sign of acknowledgement.

"I hope we will be good friends! Is your name 'Yume' as in 'dream'?" Momoi asked with an excited expression.

"Mm." was Yume short answer.

"Uwah! What a nice name! I was named Satsuki because I was born on May! Oh! And can I call you Yuu-chan?" Momoi looked hopeful at that and Yume can't refuse.

"Uh, sure. Can I call you Sat-chan then?"

Momoi looks delighted at that. "Of course!" She gushed. "We will be best friends, Yuu-chan!"

Yume sweatdrops at that. Why would you declare someone (who you got off the wrong foot with) you just met moments ago, as your _bestfriend_? But, of course, Yume **can't** say that.

"Mm, Sat-chan."

Momoi gazes at Yume adoringly, her peachpink orbs seem to shine. Until a flicker of remembrance passed through her eyes.

"Ah! The shoes!" Momoi exclaimed as she gasped in surprise. She had forgotten why she hurried in the first place. "I need to go, Yuu-chan!" Momoi ran off right then, before glancing back once. "It's nice to meet you, Yuu-chan!" Momoi shouted before she disappears from view, leaving behind trails of dust.

Yume then turns back to her activities, which is touring the school grounds for now. Yume walks past the blooming cherry blossoms as she appreciates their beauty, also the fragrant smells wafting in the air.

"Eh?"

Yume halts to a stop when she stumbled into a small hill beyond the grooves of cherry blossom trees.

There in the small hill, stood a cherry blossom tree _not_ yet blooming. The thick and dark bark shows that the tree was planted around the same time as the surrounding trees, but it hasn't bloomed when others have.

Yume steps closer into the tree, gently putting her hand on the bark.

"I found another sanctuary in Teikō.." Yume muttered softly, leaning closer to the tree.

Soon after that, Yume left the place after 5 minutes rest. She doesn't want others to also stumble on her secret sanctuary.

Yume then traces her steps back as she's now near the noticeboard area where Momoi bumped into her earlier.

"Ah! Yuu-chan! Get awaaaay!"

It seems like it's not a one time occurrence. Momoi bumping into her. Thankfully, Momoi stops in time, unlike before, and Yume caught her shoulders to keep Momoi steady.

After regaining her composure, Momoi looks up as she smiled sheepishly at Yume.

"Sorry, again, Yuu-chan..! And thanks!" Momoi straighten herself, hugging a medium-sized pouch close.

Yume assumes that it contained the shoes Momoi was running for earlier, and she's now running back from where she came from to deliver the goods.

"Ah! Do you want to watch the basketball try outs, Yuu-chan?" Momoi lit up. "My childhood friend is trying out!" Yume assumed that's the forgetful owner of said shoes with Momoi. "I'm applying for the manager!"

The thoughts alone is appreciated, but Yume just hates crowded place and would prefer to stay away when possible.

"Ah, thanks for the offer, Sat-chan, but I-"

"Ah! I need to hurry back! Let's go, Yuu-chan!" Momoi exclaimed as she yanked Yume's arm towards the Gym, running.

'...She didn't even give me time to refuse...' Yume inwardly sighed as she let herself get dragged by Momoi. Yume had to eventually give in, and she quicken her pace to keep up with Momoi's running speed.

* * *

The Gym the Basketball Club is using, is huge and spacious, the floor squeaky clean. There're also nice-looking bleachers and even a second floor for spectators. Teikō is an elite school.

"Sanada-kantoku (coach)!" Momoi greeted a man in a suit with a spectacle and darkbrown locks.

Coach Sanada turns to Momoi and nods in acknowledgement before turning his attention back to the court where the try out is on-going.

"Let's sit there, Yuu-chan!" Momoi pulled Yume to the bleacher.

Yume sits as she shifts uncomfortably, the gym is loud and crowded like she expects it to be.

On the other hand, Momoi is enjoying herself. Momoi rummages through the pouch she was carrying and pulled out a pair or basketball shoes. Then Momoi stood up, the shoes in one hand as she lifts it high behind her head. "DAI-CHAN!" Momoi shouted as Yume flinched from the volume. Heads turn to their direction, including the one Momoi shouted for. "Catch!" Momoi threw the shoes to a player on court.

Yume curiously directs her gaze towards where Momoi threw the shoes to. There, stood a boy with midnight-blue locks. His dark tanned complexion makes him _easily_ noticeable. In each of his hands is the shoes Momoi threw earlier.

'So he's the forgetful owner of the shoes...and Sat-chan childhood friend..' Yume saw the boy grinning even as he sweats, and Yume can't help but feel a bit envious. '..How nice.. He _must_ have like playing the sport..' Yume smiled a bit.

Momoi gazes soften as she speaks in a gentle tone. "He's a basket-baka." Yume turns to Momoi at that remark. "He loves basketball more than anyone else and takes it more seriously than anything else." The boy in conversations is grinning as he dribbled an orange ball.

"He's a complete blockhead in academics, though." Momoi laughed a bit at that. Momoi then turns to Yume. "You know, Yuu-chan? I had to drill the primary lessons to his hardened brain on school breaks so he could pass the Teikō's entrance test..!" Momoi complained as she recalled the hardships, the threats to keep the boy seated, the numerous methods to get him to understand... It's Momoi's **worst** school breaks ever..!

"It's horrible, Yuu-chan..!" Momoi exclaimed in exasperation. "That guy is all brawns and no brain..!" Momoi huffed.

"..It must be terrible.." Yume laughed shakily as she sympathised with Momoi's hardships.

"It is!" Momoi cried out, looking like she's about to tear up from desperation.

Yume smiled as she scrunched up her face, expressing her condolences. Yume then let herself looked at her wrist watch and sees that it's already past 12.00.

"Ah, Sat-chan, I'm sorry but I had something to do." Yume spoke as she stood up from her seat and grabs her school bag.

Momoi is dejected. She frowned before quickly smiling again. "That's sad, but I'll see you tomorrow, Yuu-chan!" Momoi waved towards Yume who has stepped out of the bleacher.

Yume turns and nods in response, smiling a bit before quickly turning and walks to the exit.

What escapes Yume's knowledge however, is that six curious gazes trailed her back as she left the gym and disappears from view.

Six gazes from people Yume took notes of for the day. But they _didn't_ know that.

And so, Yume's dreams are about to begin.

* * *

Author's note :

So yeah, how is it? :D

Read and Reviews~


	3. Chapter 2 - Eyes are Windows of The Soul

Hello, welcome back to another chapter of Dreams of Life. I honestly didn't expect lots of read on this as it really is just a side hobby of mine. I still couldn't have this story updated regularly though, so I'm really sorry for this. I decided to focus on Rainbow Drops when I started it, so yeah..

Even so, I still would try to keep this updated. At the very least, you won't see this updated once a month. I can guarantee that this story will be updated at least once a week. No promises though, really. Oh, and reviews are very much appreciated. It honestly reminds me that I need to update, and will most likely did. It'll be straight into the email after all.

Let's just get to reading~

I hope you like it~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Eyes are Windows of The Soul**

* * *

 _ **Few months ago, Kyoto**_

 _"You want to go to Tokyo?"_

 _"Yes. I know it's selfish of me to leave you two here, but.."_

 _"...Now, dear. Why would you think so..?"_

 _"...Eh..?"_

 _"Your grandma and I know your reason. We understand."_

 _"..Yes. You can go, Yume. Just remember to be home every holidays.. You hear me, young lady?"_

 _"..Yes..! I understand Oba-chan, Ojiichan..! Thank you very much..!"_

 _"Of course. Remember we will always be here for you. Good luck there, Yume."_

 _"Mm..!"_

* * *

That was a few months ago. When she told her grandparents that she had applied for Teikō Junior High in Tokyo.

'...I wonder..how is Spring in Kyoto this year..?'

Yume gazed past the window, her arm supporting her head as she folded her other arm.

She's currently sitting in her classroom, on the very back seat, next to the window. It's not the most suitable seat for a studious geek, but it will do for Yume.

Class 1-B is pretty much deserted if not for Yume. It's still 20 minutes before class after all. Students won't flock in until 5 to 10 minutes before class.

Yume is enjoying the gentle spring breeze with cherry blossom's fragrance, the serene and peaceful ambience of an empty classroom.

If you're one of the early birds in your classroom, then you'd know the feels.

"Yuu-chan! You're early!"

Yume turned to the door and she smiles when she sees who's standing there.

"Sat-chan. Good morning." Yume smiled as Momoi walked to the seat next to her, setting her school bag, and settled in her seat.

"Good morning, Yuu-chan." Momoi returned the smile before she lit up.

"Oh, yeah! Yuu-chan! Are you really a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student?" Momoi peachpink orbs sparkled as she gushed excitedly.

 _I guess news does spreads.._ Yume then nodded hesitantly, she doesn't wants to come off as prideful.

Momoi is awed, and her expressions show it. "Woah! Then, is it true that you have privileges, like to skip after school club activities or unlimited access to the school library?"

"..Mm.." Yume nodded meekly.

"That's amazing!" Momoi glomped Yume in her excitements and happiness.

Yume is taken aback. She _never_ thought that someone she had just met a day ago could be this happy for her.

'..Sat-chan is so nice..'

Yume wrapped her arms around Momoi's waist, returning the gesture. "Thank you, Sat-chan."

Momoi smiles before letting go. "Your welcome, Yuu-chan."

"Oh, right! Yuu-chan, does the Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student has some kind of rules? Like obligations or something?" Momoi asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Yume nodded in confirmation. "Yes. I have to maintain my grades above 90% and also to remain in the top 3 in the year."

Of course **nothing** comes easy.

"Right. But if it's Yuu-chan, I'm sure you could do it!" Momoi hold Yume's hands as she encouraged her, prompting a smile from Yume.

"Though.. Are you really not interested in after school club activities, Yuu-chan?" Momoi pouted as she huffed. "I would have loved it if you'd join the basketball club with me.."

Yume creased her brows as she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sat-chan. I don't even understand basketball." Yume paused. "..And I don't really like loud and crowded place.."

Momoi is disappointed. But she knows when to give up and to let go.

"Too bad.." Momoi sighed before she tilted her head with a smile. "That reminds me, do you know anyone here in Teikō? I only know my childhood friend."

Yume smiled sheepishly as she shook her head. "Me neither.."

"My primary school is in Kyoto, you see.." Yume confessed.

"I only know you, Sat-chan." Yume admitted shyly.

Momoi squealed as her cheeks flushed pink. "Don't worry! You're my bestfriend, Yuu-chan!" Momoi declared as she giggles, inviting Yume to join in the giggling.

'Sat-chan is really nice.. I wonder if she'd really be my friend this time..?' Yume can't help but wonder.

To be honest, it's not that Yume never had a friend before. It's just...how to say..? They **don't** really _feel_ like a friend..

She doesn't know how to put it into words, but it just feel **out of place** somehow.

Not long after, students started to flock in. Their homeroom teacher, Yoshimura Takashi, who the students affectionately called Yoshi-sensei, then came in and took the roll call.

Classes started for every Teikō students and like one would expect from a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student, Yume diligently took notes of every lessons and write them out neatly. Complete with little marks on each section to show her understanding on the matters.

Yume knows her responsibilities as a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student, and she wouldn't shirk it. She was given the chance out of all the applicants there, and it's only right if she tried her best in the place who failed. Yume also needs this chance. She **couldn't** lose it.

Even when she's a normal Teikō student, Momoi still took notes as she listens intently. Momoi also took her studies seriously. You can say that her world revolves around her studies and basketball, though now Yume is added into the equation.

Truth to be told, Momoi doesn't really has a _real_ close girlfriend before. Her childhood friend had her hands full and she just can't left him (along with the troubles that just seem to trail after him). Yume is her _first_ girlfriend and Momoi really wanted to be bestfriends with her.

Of course, the girls keep their own thoughts to themselves. They _didn't_ know they both feel the same.

* * *

After a few hours went by, finally the lunch bell rings to the relief of all students.

Especially, if _you_ are one of those students who declared that the best time of school is lunch time.

Some students just fled right away after the bell rings, while some others took their time to tidy up their desk before leaving the classroom.

Momoi and Yume are part of those who stayed behind to tidy their desk before going off for lunch.

"Ne, Yuu-chan. Wanna go to the canteen with me?" Momoi smiled as she invited Yume, standing next to Yume's table.

Momoi then recalled that Yume said she dislikes loud and crowded place this morning.

"Oops. I forgot." Momoi laughed shakily.

"Do you want me to buy you a bread so we can eat somewhere else?" Momoi offered kindly.

Teikō Junior High is an elite school providing only the best for their students who have met the strict criteria just to apply. Few managed to shave by because their talents lies somewhere else that Teikō also values.

Befitting their brilliant reputation, Teikō established a school canteen offering the necessary nutritions for all students, with a wide range of food choices. Even cakes and sweets.

To maintain their spotless clean school buildings, Teikō had **prohibited** students to consume any kind of food in the corridors and the classrooms. Drinks are exceptions. Canteen is the suggested place, but other than the mentioned two, _anywhere_ else on the school ground is allowed.

"There's no need for that, Sat-chan." Yume politely rejected Momoi's offer as she rummaged through her school bag, before pulling out a medium-sized lightbrown pouch.

"I brought my bento." Yume smiled. "You can go have your lunch in the canteen, Sat-chan. I'll just eat somewhere."

Momoi doesn't want to leave her new bestfriend to eat by herself. But she had normally ate with her childhood friend in the canteen. Momoi felt like pulling her hair out. Her childhood friend _always_ seems to stand in her way and her other friends.

It's not hard to notice Momoi's perplexed expression, and Yume knows she had to say something to ease Momoi's dilemma.

"I'll be fine, Sat-chan." Yume smiled reassuringly. "We can have lunch together next time."

Momoi lit up at Yume's suggestion as she nods eagerly. "That's a promise, okay?" Momoi leaned closer to Yume, who smiles.

"Yipee!" Momoi cheered joyfully. "I'll make a bento tomorrow and we can have lunch together!"

Yume nodded as she smiled at Momoi's enthusiasm. Yume honestly thinks that girls like Momoi is cute. Bright, cheerful and bubbly, aren't girls like that just lovable?

"I'll see you after lunch then, Yuu-chan~!" Momoi waved as she walked to the door.

Yume smiles just watching Momoi's cheery personality. It somehow affects her and lifts her mood.

Just a few steps past the door and a voice along with a _thud_ sound could be heard just outside the classroom.

 _"Oomph!"_

Yume blinked. 'That's Sat-chan's voice.. Did she bump into someone again..?'

 _"Satsuki! I told you to see in front, you baka (idiot)."_

 _"What's that, Dai-chan..!"_

Yume inwardly felt relieved as she heard the two's conversations. From their chatters, Yume could tell that the two know each other, which means the one Momoi bumped into is _undoubtedly_ her childhood friend.

Yume waited for a few moments after the pair left, before she got up from her seat and left the classroom, heading to her hidden sanctuary she found the day of the entrance ceremony.

* * *

The walk to her sanctuary is pretty quiet. The students are mostly having their lunches, so the school ground she walked past is quite desolated.

"Oomph!"

"Ah! I'm sorry!"

Yume fell on her butt just a few meters away from her destination. This time, instead of being bumped, she bumped into someone.

The one she bumped into help lift Yume back on her feet. Yume didn't look up, but from his hand, Yume could tell it's a boy. All the more reason not to look up.

"The fault's mine. I'm sorry and thank you." Yume spoke as she dusted herself off. She bowed politely before walking away.

The boy she bumped into looks confused as he watched her leave. Would people normally left just like that? Oh well. The boy then turned, about to walk away when he notices something lying on the ground.

* * *

"Mm.." Yume hummed as she inhaled a breath of fresh air.

Yume then plopped down as she leaned against the cherry blossom's bark, enjoying herself.

'..Should I bring Sat-chan here tomorrow..?'

Yume remembered her promise with Momoi earlier. There's not many place where they could have lunch without no one else's company, and Yume _only_ knows this one.

Yume sighed, putting her thoughts to the side as she unravelled her pouch and pulled out a yellow-green lunch box.

"Eh?" Yume rummaged her pouch for more.

"It's not here.."

Yume realised a small pouch where she keeps her chopsticks is not in her larger pouch. She dropped it somewhere.

Yuki grimaced at her misfortune. She's sure she had packed it, and she'd always double-checked it. It must _dropped_ when she bumped into the boy earlier.

'..I could only look for it..' Yume set aside her lunch box as she stood up.

She needs to go back to the place where the crash happened.

 ***Rustle* *Rustle***

Yume quickly turns to the sounds, only to see a boy in his uniform, holding her missing pouch in his hand.

"Eh.. I'm sorry to disturb you.." He apologised weakly.

"But you dropped this when you bumped into me." He lifted the yellow-green pouch with a panda embroidery stitched on the bottom end.

Yume walked over and the man handed it back to her hands. "Thank you." Yume bowed curtly.

She's thankful he's kind enough to return her dropped belongings, but she's **more** worried that someone discovered her sanctuary.

It's only the first day of school, too! (Officially. The day before is just entrance ceremony.)

"It's a nice place here." The boy commented as he took in the surroundings.

Yume jerked.

'Eh?' The boy noticed Yume's sudden movements. '..Is this her secret place or something?'

The boy awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I won't tell anyone about this place..." He paused.

"It's all yours."

Yume finally looked up from the ground then, her soft limegreen orbs meeting the bright golden-yellow orbs for the first time since they met.

"I really appreciate that." Yume bowed as she thanked the boy for his statement.

The boy smiles as he waved it off. "It's okay." He then take a step to turn. "I'll be off then."

Yume watched the boy leave, and by now she could see his golden-yellow locks, shimmering and glowing under the sun.

After she made sure the boy is no longer in the vicinity, Yume settle her back against the tree.

Yume sighed as she finally ate her lunch that had went through so many ordeals just to get it eaten.

'..Maybe I shouldn't bring Sat-chan here after all...'

Yume frowned as she decided that she want this place all to herself just for a little longer. The lunch date with Momoi can be done somewhere else.

* * *

"Hello." Yume greeted the student-on-duty with a smile as she handed her Student ID Card.

The girl-on-duty then smiled as she scanned Yume's Student ID Card before giving it back to her.

Yume pocketed her Student ID Card before she walked away to the bookshelf with 'School' written on the sides, indicating their sections.

She's currently browsing in the school library. She finished her lunch early and it's still 30 minutes away to class, so Yume decided to frequent the library after she tucked away her bento box in class.

Yume picked up a few books related to the classes she studied earlier in class and checked them out.

She then carried them to a seat in the corner with a small table attached to it. Yume set the books on the table as she started reading her books one by one. She **failed** to notice that a seat in front of her is occupied by another student, a fellow book-lover.

The clock ticked by and Yume is on her last book, a few pages left to the other's end. She's too engrossed in her book that when the school bell rings (signalling there's 5 minutes left to class), she quickly stood up and stumbled into the student that was sitting in front of her.

"I'm sorry..!" Yume whispered her apology as both students scurried to gather the books they dropped.

"It's fine. I'm also to blame." The student replied as they both stood up, cradling their books close to their chests.

Only then, does Yume realises that the student she bumped (2nd time of the day) into had the exact same babyblue locks from the entrance ceremony.

"No, it's entirely my fault. I bumped into you." Yume bowed politely, tightening her hold on her books so it wouldn't fall.

"I am hard to notice in the first place." He explained his side of reason but then quickly said another. "We should hurry up."

Yume nodded at that as they both exited the library with their books in tow, they had them checked out so at least an overnight stay would be allowed. Yume can had it for _weeks_ though, a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student's privilege.

The two ended up walking together, side-by-side. The silence is not suffocating even though they're practically strangers to each other.

Yume then recalled the boy saying something about his lack of presence and his implication on why it was his fault.

'It's not true though.. It really is my fault.. He was already standing when I haven't..'

Yume hesitated to tell the boy her thoughts on the matter, she never exactly conversed with boys. They just had different interests, so they just don't match.

'He seems mild, though...and it is my fault...'

Yume made up her mind. She took a breath before finally voicing her thoughts.

"Uh.. Before, at the library.." Yume began as the boy quietly turned to her.

"It really is my fault for being in a rush and that's why I didn't notice you standing there.." Yume twiddled with her fingers nervously.

Yume's gaze is on anywhere but the boy as she continued. "It's not that you're hard to notice or something... I was just too engrossed in my reading.."

The boy blinked, showing a hint of surprise. He doesn't seems to expect that being the reasons of her apology. People would normally **just** accepted and agreed when he said he's hard to notice.

"I really am usually unnoticed." He spoke with a flat tone. "Even my homeroom teacher forgot me on the first day of school."

Yume couldn't help but be bewildered at his confession as she finally looked to the boy, who had his gaze to the front. She did note that the boy doesn't really stand out, but he's not exactly _forgettable_? After all...

 _"..You've got such a beautiful babyblue locks..."_

The boy's babyblue orbs then widen as he turned to his side, meeting Yume's own widened orbs, who was actually even more surprised. It seems she didn't plan to blurt it out.

"I-I'm sorry..!" Yume squeaked her apology as she bowed curtly before running off to her class, which is a few classes away.

Yume is **mortified** as she quickened her paces away from the boy. She _can't_ believe she said that to a total stranger.

Thinking it is fine, but saying it is just **stupid**. Yume sincerely hopes she wouldn't have to see the boy again. She'd be too embarrassed had it had to happen.

The boy who was left stricken on the spot blinked his bewilderments away. As he recalled the surprised look the girl had when their gazes met, he also couldn't help but notice.

 _"...You, too...had a pair of gentle green orbs..."_

* * *

Author's note :

So, yeah.. How is it?

Read and Reviews~


	4. Chapter 3 -Everything comes with a price

This chapter is rather short, but I have part of next chapter's plots ready. I might update faster after this, I'm not making any promises, though. Most of the chapters will be non-canon, and I haven't yet decided about the Generation of Miracles' changes later on in the story. I might tweak that part a bit, or even ignored it completely. I'll see how the story goes and decide then.

Enjoy~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - Everything comes with a price**

* * *

Have you ever had a case in which you can't believe your eyes despite seeing what's in front of you?

Yume is experiencing that now as she stares at Momoi's bento, or at least what she _assumes_ to be bento.

"..Sat-chan? Is _this_ your bento..?" Yume asked cautiously as she looked up to meet Momoi's unsuspecting eyes.

"Mm! I cook it myself!" Momoi smiled proudly, her cheeks rosy in contrast to her depressing-looking bento.

Yume found herself losing her words. What is she supposed to say..? She can't let Momoi eat that and get a stomachache. How to save Momoi and not prick about her bento being inedible?

Yume smiled sheepishly. "..Sat-chan.. I don't think I can finish my bento.. Can I share with you?"

Momoi blinks, before she frowned in worry. "I can't eat a lot, too. What to do..?"

"That's fine!" Yume exclaimed, before quickly lowering her voice. "I mean.. We can just eat my bento, I want to share with you, Sat-chan.."

 _Did it work..?_ Yume warily glanced up to Momoi.

"How sweet~! Of course, Yuu-chan! I'll eat with you!" Momoi squealed in delight, before putting her bento to the side.

Yume inwardly heaved a sigh of relief. She doesn't wants Momoi to hate her if she was to nitpick on Momoi's bento, but she also doesn't want Momoi get sick eating her own bento.

"But.." Yume began hesitantly as she glanced around the place the two were in.

"Can we really eat here?" Yume asked worriedly.

Teikō Junior High **strictly** prohibits students eating in the school buildings, mainly classrooms and corridors. Everywhere else is fine.

Yume and Momoi are having their lunches in an abandoned, empty _classroom_ around the 2nd Floor's corridor, by the corner. It seems no students have ever ventured here for quite a long time. Why Momoi knows this place despite being a freshman herself, Yume does not know.

"It's fine~!" Momoi chirped happily. "This class used to be the music room, but it's been unused and it just gathers dust. No one will know!"

Yume isn't quite sure about that. Abandoned or not, it still is a classroom. It wouldn't be good for a scholarship student like her to violate the school regulations.

Momoi is completely certain about it being hidden, though. Yume also likes the room, there's even an old piano gathering dust by the corner. _Just this once.._

"Mm.." Yume agreed weakly.

"Well, let's eat~!" Momoi spoke excitedly.

Yume smiles as she opened the lid, showing a neatly packed rice, tamagoyaki, karaage and even a container with miso soup.

"Oh my! This looks so good! Did _you_ make this, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned, her eyes sparkling with awe.

"Hhehe.." Yume nodded meekly. She might not look like it, but she's quite adept at house chores considering she had to live alone.

"That must be nice! Dai-chan keeps saying that my food is bad.. I even had to sneak my bento to him, or he won't take it..!" Momoi grumbled with a mixture of anger and sadness.

Even so, considering how horrible Momoi's bento looked, Yume can't help feeling sorry for the poor boy. She prays that he lives to see another day, _if_ he dares to eat it.

"L-Let's just eat, Sat-chan.." Yume changed the subject. Momoi smiles and nods.

Yume and Momoi start to eat, Momoi compliments Yume on her cooking skills, saying that she's really good. Momoi praises Yume's every dishes. Yume only smiles in response, her thoughts are somewhere else.

Yume is thinking about the books she borrowed yesterday from the school library. She brought them with her today, she had finished reading them.

However, Yume hesitates going to the library. She fears meeting the mysterious boy she shamelessly blurted her thoughts to. If that happened, she'd be frozen with mortification.

'..I will just return it after school ends..'

There's no evidence that she'll not meet the boy after school, but Yume just feels it's a safer course of actions.

"—he's hopeless.." Yume heard Momoi's sighed. She must have missed the complete sentence.

"Dai-chan always gets into troubles without me around! I just had to stick around him..!" Momoi grumbled as she frowned, scrunching her pretty face.

"But Dai-chan isn't even thankful to me...! Isn't he bad?" Momoi huffed as she complained.

'Sat-chan looks adorable..' Yume thought off-tracks. She just can't help but notices Momoi's flushed cheeks and adorable scrunched expression.

"You must care a lot about him." Yume smiled affectionately.

Momoi might complains, but it's _obvious_ she cares. If she doesn't, why would she tutored him (with extreme hardships) so he could get into Teikō with her?

"...Yes." Momoi turned with a gentle expression, smiling. "Dai-chan had always been there for me."

Her childhood friend might be rough around the edges, but he's the kind of friend that won't left you alone when you're hurt. He's kind and she knows it. He just shows it in his own ways.

"I feel like a mother with a kid." Momoi sighed tiredly, prompting a giggle from Yume.

"Hhihi.." Yume envies the two's close bond. "Your childhood friend seems like a fun person, Sat-chan."

Momoi looks elated at that as she invades Yume's personal space, leaning close, their faces almost touch.

"I will introduce you two one day soon!" Momoi gushed enthusiastically.

Yume stiffen at that. From what she knows Momoi's childhood friend is a _boy_ , and Yume doesn't seems to have fond memories about them.

Girls and boys are just different. They have different interests, hobbies and even manners of speaking. Yume isn't quite comfortable around them. There's _also_ the memories..

Yume masked her hesitations with a smile. "Sure, Sat-chan." Yume answered as Momoi squealed ecstatically, not noticing the sudden darkness looming over Yume's expression as she sadly muttered under her breath.

 _"One day..."_

* * *

Momoi and Yume was done with their lunches and is now walking back to their class, making a little chit-chat here and there.

Momoi mostly talked about 'Dai-chan' and Yume mostly listened as Momoi blabbered his embarrassing moments that makes Yume wondered if the boy won't be enraged had he known his past was tattle-taled by one Momoi Satsuki.

Yume slides the door open as Momoi talked behind her.

"—it's really funny, Yuu-chan! He ev—"

"Ano, Manai-san?" Someone interrupted Momoi and Yume chatters as the two girls turned to the new voice.

"Yes?" Yume answered politely, offering a courteous smile.

"Yoshi-sensei came by and said you're called to the Principal's office. He told us to tell you if we see you." The girl informed, she is Yume's and Momoi's classmate.

Yume didn't expect that. To have her classmate talk to her is unusual enough, but then she told her that the Principal wants to see her. What are the odds?

"Thank you, Shinkawa-san." Yume bowed curtly, as Shinkawa's eyes widen. "Is something wrong?" Yume asked as she tilted her head.

"A-Ah, n-no.. I was just surprised you know my name." Shinkawa confessed softly.

Classmates be they may, but Yume isn't a social butterfly and her classmates don't really talk to her unless necessary.

Yume doesn't knows, but she's actually quite well-known in her class for being Momoi Satsuki's best buddy. Momoi Satsuki is the pretty freshman and popular girl in Teikō.

Yume's fame came from Momoi more than her own achievements of being a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student.

Yume only smiles in response before she turns to Momoi. "I'm going for a while, Sat-chan."

"Take care, Yuu-chan~" Momoi nodded as she waved Yume away.

* * *

'Principal's Office' is written on a board above the lavishly crafted dark-wooden doors. Yume takes a deep breath before she knocks on the door.

 ***Knock* *Knock***

"I am Manai Yume. I heard you called, Principal." Yume spoke without showing her nervousness.

 _"Manai-san. Come in."_

Yume then gently pushed the door open. She stepped inside as she closed the door behind her and walked until she stops just a few steps away from the Principal's desk. Yume bowed curtly to show her respect.

"Manai-san." He began with a smile as he gestured to the seat in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

Yume nodded before she takes her seat, her upper body straight and her legs neatly closed as she let her hands rest on her lap.

"I called you to talk about the new Student Council that will be elected in a one month time." The Principal rested his elbows on his desk, supporting his head. "The Student Council runs the Teikō Student Body. Only capable students worthy of the seats are selected."

Yume is still not quite sure where he is going with this, she **had** an idea, but...no way... _right..?_

"The freshmen this year are looking excellent. There are many capable students with brilliant leadership and absolute sense of responsibility." He started, his tone showing his pride. "However. In all the years of first, second and third students, there is a lack of a trusty Treasurer with the right sets of knowledge to manage the clubs monetary properly."

Yume **is** certain now. She sighed inwardly, her expression unchanging. She _had_ even planned to get by her whole three years peacefully.

"Out of all students here, you are the best choice for the Treasurer position, Manai-san. I wish to extend the invitation to enter the Student Council as the Treasurer." He said finally, smiling that oppressive smile of his.

This is **not** an invitation, rather it's a direct _order_ from the highest authority in the organisation. Yume knows she can't just bluntly refuses.

As if detecting her dilemma, he then continued. "It will be fine if you can't, Manai-san. I know you are busy working part-times to support your school life."

If Yume's hesitation was not visible before, it _is_ now. She jerked because it's definitely **not** a consolation, but rather, a statement.

Teikō Junior High student is **not** allowed to participate in any part-time nor full-time works. Infringement may resulted in student expulsion.

Despite this, the Principal agreed to make an exception for Yume. He saw her needs to, in order to fulfil her daily life.

 _An invitation? You might as well said_ 'This is an order. Refusal is not accepted.' He didn't have to point out her sensitive subject.

"..I will think about it, Principal." Yume replied without a concrete answer.

The Principal smiles again. "I will be waiting for a positive response, Manai-san."

 _Sure he will._ Yume thought sarcastically. He isn't even being subtle enough with his oppression.

"Ah, and you don't have to worry about being the only first year in the Student Council." He spoke like he's known for certain that Yume will say yes. "For all I know the candidates for this year Student Council's President and Vice-President have first years who performed exceptionally well in both academics and clubs."

In other words, the two first years are _pre-elected_ to be in their future seats. It's been **decided**.

Yume only nods, before she excused herself and left the room. As soon as she closed the door, she let out a sigh.

It seems that 'Yes' is the only answer she can give to the Principal's 'invitation.' Why _her_ of all people though?

Yume shook her head in resignation. She then walked back to her class. The silence filling the corridors makes her wonder, who is the two freshmen the Principal was talking about?

'One might be this year's freshmen representative.. _The boy with beautiful red orbs.._ ' Yume recalled the graceful air around the boy as he walked to the podium on the day of the entrance ceremony.

The boy is elegant and charming. Yume wouldn't deny that. She at least had her aesthetic sense in the right place despite being an awful artist herself when it involves blending colours.

Yume humbly did well-enough with pencil sketches, but she wouldn't be able to add colours without destroying said sketches. Even so, Yume could tell that the boy's shade of red is the one emitting strength, passion and elegance.

'I'm thinking too much about that boy...' Yume sighed as she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

What's more important is how being in the Student Council will obstruct her part-times schedule.

Momoi will also likely to ask her what's the talk is all about.

Since when did her school life turned this complicated?

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	5. Chapter 4 - Threads of Fate

I'm posting a triple chapters today~ I've said it before, but I have things planned on December, so I might not be able to update in the usual pace. I've also posted the first Chapter for my new story - My Dignified Imouto. It's in about 2000 words range, a light reading. Also, thanks a lot for the reviews - it honestly encourages me to write. So here's the fourth Chapter, Enjoy~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 - Threads of Fate**

Following the decree issued by Teikō's Principal, Yume had to drag her _heavy_ legs back to class.

She's feeling conflicted and perplexed with the Principal's 'order'. When the election came, and Yume is officially titled the Student Council Treasurer, how will it affect her regular schedules - her _life?_

Yume sighed dejectedly as she slides open her classroom's door. Her depression must be obvious - or her 'bestfriend' is a mother hen - because Momoi flung herself at Yume as soon as she opened the door.

"Are you okay? What happened? Why do look sad? Did he say something? W-Wait..! He DIDN'T say anything about cancelling your Special Academic Excellence Scholarship, did he?! Tell me he DIDN'T..!"

Momoi shook Yume back and forth as she shrieked in a horrified tone. She looks like she's just seen a ghost - pale and disbelieving.

When Momoi finally stopped, Yume smiled weakly. "It's fine, Sat-chan."

She then whispered in a hushed tone. "He only invited me to join the Student Council." Or more like an implied coercion.

Momoi smiles in relief at that. "That's good..or rather, that's **amazing** , Yuu-chan!"

"You received a _personal_ invitation!" Momoi whispered in an excited tone.

Yume shook her head, before she took Momoi by her hand and pulled her to their seats - the corner seats.

Yume and Momoi lean closer to keep their conversations to themselves.

"You see, Sat-chan.. There're apparently two first years pre-selected to enter the Student Council as the President and the Vice-President.." Yume confessed the 'top-secret' information she just received from the Principal.

It **is** top-secret. Logically, with the members already selected, there's _no_ need to hold an election - but Teikō did. To establish reputation for the newly elected members - who would accept those who didn't even went through screening and competition?

Momoi squeaked at that. She quickly covered her mouth, before hushing again. "They _must_ be good..!"

Yume nods. "They are. The Principal said they excelled both academics and clubs."

Momoi could understand where does the Principal came from. Teikō, after all, favours those who succeed brilliantly above the rest.

"I may know who the President might be.." Momoi whispered, perking Yume's interest. "It's most likely Akashi-kun from 1-A, the first year representative."

The first year representative? Yume recalled the redhead on the entrance ceremony - the same one she was just thinking about.

'So his name is Akashi..' Yume mentally noted. 'Even his name sounds regal somehow..'

Yume also couldn't help but feels a sense of _familiarity_ when the name 'Akashi' was mentioned. She didn't know any Akashi, though.

"It's quite obvious though." Momoi huffed indignantly. "Must be the blood."

Yume blinked at that. She then tilted her head in confusion.

"It's Akashi, Yuu-chan." Momoi paused as she stared at Yume's expression for a recognition - which isn't present.

"..Akashi-kun is the son and heir to the huge conglomerate of Akashi. Inc." Momoi delivered the news as Yume's eyes finally widen in recognition. "That's why people mind themselves around Akashi-kun.."

Of course. Which Japanese wouldn't know that humongous corporate said to be able affecting Japan's economy with just a word? Their influences are just that great.

Yume kind of shivered at the revelations. She doesn't think she wants to work with someone with such an overwhelming and pressuring background.

One wrong move, and her school life might just be over. That's worse than Teikō's expulsion penalty.

"Akashi-kun is not that bad though." Momoi shrugged her shoulders dismissively. "He's a bit intimidating, but other than that, he is okay."

"Eh?" Yume muttered in bewilderment. Momoi spoke like she knows this 'Akashi-kun'. Momoi's information networks might be wide and accurate, but isn't Akashi-kun being 'okay' based on Momoi's own perception?

"..Did you, perhaps, know him _personally_ , Sat-chan...?" Yume asked cautiously. There's no way that Momoi is somehow his relative or something like that, right..?

"He's in the basketball club." was Momoi's short reply - and that's enough to lift Yume's worry.

What's left is only that Yume has to steer clear from this Akashi-kun. It's either a peaceful school life - or hellish and troublesome one, perhaps even none at all.

The school's bell then rings, signalling back to class and studies. It's either the chirping sounds of little birds - or the squeaking sounds of tyres to those who hear them.

* * *

Yume is feeling like fate is playing along with her little legs. It seems fate is having a completely different things in store for her - despite her concrete plan.

Yume is a rational girl with a good head on her shoulders. She'd always be able to decide right from wrongs after pondering over her choices.

So, when she starts tripping over her own feet - starting from blurting her thoughts at a random boy, getting embroiled with the Principal's dictates and now the situation she's in - she can't help but wonder if she's suffering from a brain freeze or a case of recurring bad luck.

'..Should I just go home and return the books tomorrow..?' Yume conflicted internally as she clutched her school bag to her chest.

The current librarian in charge is a student Yume knows but unfamiliar with - the seemingly 'perfectionist' greenhead male from the entrance ceremony.

What's with these students she met at the entrance ceremony? Did she manage to inadvertently tangle her threads of fate with those students'? Why do they keep popping out on her when it is clear she wants nothing to do with them - excluding Momoi?

Speaking about Momoi, she headed to her club after her boyfr- childhood friend, picked her up by their classroom.

Okay, so Yume has decided that the greenhead stood out in a not really good way - the Golden Maneki Neko (it even moves) that's out of place and was not there before must have belongs to him - and she strongly wishes to keep him out of her life, her school life at the very least.

Only, since fate _doesn't_ seem to agree with her, Yume might as well just get this done once and for all.

Yume inhaled sharply, prepping herself ready, before she slowly approached the librarian-on-duty's desk.

Yume felt like sighing, to wash out her frustrations with today's happenings.

"Excuse me.."

The bespectacled boy looked up from his book at Yume's quiet mutters. He had that unfriendly look on - it seems to ask her business.

Yume returned the frown with a courteous smile. She _wouldn't_ want to necessarily involve herself with the boy more than she already had by intruding his private space.

"I'm returning books." Yume reached for her school bags, pulled out the books and her Student ID and placed them on the desk.

He nodded taciturnly as he took her Student ID and entered her details along with the books' title as he ran his eyes through, not missing a single detail.

His eyes seems to widen a fraction for an instant when he noticed the books Yume was reading - all those that helps studying and preparing for school lessons.

Yume wanted to leave soon. She wishes to borrow more books to help with her studies, but she doesn't find herself wanting to stay longer than necessary.

The male librarian finally returned her Student ID. Along with her ID, a question - rather weird and off-topic - was delivered.

"What is your horoscope?"

Yume find herself just-smiling as her mind is muddled with what she just heard. "Hai (yes)?"

"Your horoscope." He repeated, not having any qualms in the least.

Yume is doing her best to keep her smile on place as she answered. "I'm a Pisces."

The boy tapped his glasses over to the bridge of his nose. Is it just Yume, or the boy _looks_ slightly friendlier?

"Oha Asa said Cancers and Pisces' compatibility are the best." The boy finally looked up to meet eyes with Yume. "It is nice to meet you. Chinami ni, Pisces' lucky place for today is the convenience store."

It was a nice and standard introduction _if_ you take out the astrological signs and fortune tellings.

And did he said convenience store? Why, Yume had a part time job there today. What luck - or rather what does fate - will bring her now?

If basing on today's series of occurrences, then fate might just throw Yume a meeting with the rest of the students she met back on the entrance ceremony.

Who's left again? The charismatic redhead, the gigantic purplehead, or perhaps the energetic darker-bluehead of Momoi's childhood friend?

Yume waved off the overall weird introduction as she inclined her head, excusing herself out with a small smile.

'I really should avoid him.' Yume is all but opposed to that notion.

The boy is rather... _eccentric?_ She's not even sure about horoscopes and fortune tellings - she's even the girl here - and the boy seems to take them into a whole new level.

Yume really should not associate herself with such a weirdo to protect her harmonious school life - which is pretty much threatening to break down after the Principal's order.

'No. I shouldn't think like that.' Yume shook her head to dismiss her negative thoughts as she lightly slapped her cheeks.

"It'll be fine." She assured herself.

* * *

 **'¥5470'**

Yume has been working for quite a while in the line of convenience stores, yet **never** had she seen such an amount to be paid just for snacks and treats.

You heard - or read - it right. Snacks and treats.

If you are curious about what leads Yume's eyes almost bulging out from her eye sockets, we will return to the time just a bit earlier.

Yes. It was a peaceful afternoon like any other days when she worked here. It was, until one certain giant came and raided the store.

The same purplehead she was considering earlier. Yume _jinxed_ herself. She will just think less now.

Although, even with that humongous amount of snacks that would last a week for at least 10 children, the giant still doesn't look happy.

Yume could also feel the intense stare he directed to her, and she did nothing. She _tried_ to ignore the obvious glare as she busied herself with putting his snacks and treats into the plastic bags.

"...Is there anything I can help you with..?" Yume sighed as she finally relented.

Customer is the King. Yume is the worker. That simplifies her choices.

The giant pouted like a child. "There's no maiubou and nerunerunerune candy.."

Yume blinked at that. 'Ah. Those treats that were popular with kids.'

The kids in the neighbourhood loves those treats, and they ate the store's empty. It seems the tastes just suits their palates - kids'.

'I had restocked it before, has it come, yet..?' Yume wondered as she tried to recall the promised delivery date.

Yume had taken the liberty to order for more stocks. Her manager had approved of Yume's experiences and business management skills - she's given the liberty part-timers usually wouldn't.

"..It should have been today..." Yume muttered under her breath as she frowned a bit.

Stocks delivery normally came morning to early noon, and Yume would be in school - she would never be there to accept the package.

"Please wait for a moment." Yume bowed a bit as she went to the storage, to look for the delivered box of treats.

She inspects the neat storage, which she and her manager tidied up regularly. Yume opened the boxes until she found the right two.

"This is it. They were delivered." Yume noted with a small smile as she stacked the two medium-sized boxes together and lifted them easily.

Yume had worked for quite a while now, many kinds of part-time works generated her muscles - she's _stronger_ than she looks.

 ***Thud***

Yume softly landed the boxes where the purplehead could see - his eyes are sparkling.

Yume then turned to him with a hidden sweat drop. "How much do you want?"

The giant didn't hesitate at all as he replied excitedly. "All!"

Yume kept her forced smile intact even when she is inwardly wondering and chastising the boy's method to spend money. He will also ruin his teeth. There's a _limit_ for everything.

Yume then added the prices for both maiubou and nerunerunerune candy into his shopping list.

 **'¥9830'**

That amount for just snacks and treats. Is he a rich man's son..?

Following the store's regulations, Yume had to give the boy a bonus. It's plausible since the giant spends just that much money.

Yume then plucked out a small containers of mint flavoured bubble gum and a sports drink.

She then handed it to him. "It's a bonus." Yume smiled. "...And you might want to brush your teeth longer.."

He nods eagerly as he took the offered treats, his eyes twinkling in a playful manner. He then grabbed his plastic bags easily, slipping it into his arms.

He then smiled his rather bored-looking smile. "Arigato, Cashier-chin." The giant then waltzed out of the store happy.

Yume watched as the boy left and the automatic door slides closed. What an encounter.

Yume sighed tiredly as she mumbled weakly. "What's with today.."

Yume could feel her head throbbing, she needs a good night rest today.

She could only hope tomorrow, fate will take it easy on her.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	6. Chapter5-Out of frying pan and into fire

This update will be the last before Christmas' updates~! On the 25th, I will be updating all three stories plus 'something' new. Rainbow Drops will have one more update before the triple-chapters update later on the 25th.

There's also an important question I want to ask. Seeing how Rainbow Drops and My Dignified Imouto is a Romance-centred story, I'm planning to change this story more Friendship-oriented. There will still be implied romance, but I will most likely explore the stories in a way of how it would be if there's a pillar that held all Generation of Miracles, Momoi and Kuroko back in Teikō.

What do you think? Better for this story to stay Romance-centred, or Friendship-oriented?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 5 - Out of frying pan and into fire**

* * *

 **Teikō Junior High 1st Aptitude Test Results**

 **1st Year (Out of 312 Students)**

 **1st** Akashi Seijūrō

 **2nd** Midorima Shintarō

 **3rd** Manai Yume

 **4th** Sasaki Chiaki

 **5th** Momoi Satsuki

...

...

...

* * *

"You did it! You get _third_ , Yuu-chan!" Momoi cheered as she clasped Yume's hands and shook them repeatedly.

Yume could feel all the stares directed to them - Momoi is most likely the cause here. Almost all of Teikō's freshmen is here, to know of how well they did - some couldn't care less.

Yume smiles sheepishly, trying to ignore all the obvious stares. "Thanks, Sat-chan. You did well, too."

Momoi smiles sweetly, resulting in some guys having a heart-arrow piercing their heart.

"Ah!" Momoi exclaimed suddenly, before pulling Yume to the other end of the list. "I need to look for Dai-chan's scores!"

Yume let herself be dragged along as she blinked in confusion. "Sat-chan, shouldn't we start looking from the front?"

It's common sense to start looking from the top and not the bottom, right? Although, when you had an inkling of where it could be, you could just start there directly.

Like in this case.

"There's _no_ way Dai-chan would be there!" Momoi huffed. "He's an idiot, remember?"

Why would that brawn-for-a-brain childhood friend of hers be somewhere closer to the top than the bottom? Momoi has made it clear that she spends her summer holiday drilling primary lessons to what he got as a head to enter Teikō.

Yume could feel herself sweat dropping at that. This 'Dai-chan' must be born under a lucky star to have a faithful and loyal childhood friend like Momoi.

She can't help but wonder how he'll be like if Momoi stops caring for him - disastrous is the only word she could think of to describe that situation.

Momoi then halted on the other end, bringing Yume to a stop. Momoi is about to run her eyes through the notice when she found it unexpectedly quicker than she initially predicted.

* * *

...

...

 **308th** Aomine Daiki

 **309th** Hayama Akita

 **310th** Kurosawa Gorou

 **311th** Tachibana Moto

 **312th** Yamamoto Kenta

 **End of the List**

* * *

Momoi's expression is, for the lack of better word - **colourful**. There's anger, annoyance, despair, resignation and even disbelief all twisted into one.

'Uwahh..' Yume found herself staring at one name Momoi was glaring hole at - Aomine Daiki.

'He's **5th** from the _bottom_ whereas Sat-chan is **5th** from the _top_..' Yume is amused somehow.

How could she not? Two closely related people sharing the same number, yet completely different meanings.

Nevertheless, Momoi really is not exaggerating when she said 'Dai-chan' is that difficult at studies. This is _beyond_ worse.

Momoi felt herself stoning and fading away as she lost her words, facing her childhood friend's terrible, horrible grades.

Who could blame her? It's an **aptitude** **test** \- a test of your existing knowledges, simply put - primary grades' lessons. It is held to serve as a prediction on how well students would do in their school years.

Momoi spent her entire summer holiday to teach him those lessons and it has now vanished to who know where?

The aptitude test is special in that there's no penalties exacted for scoring below the averages. Exams and quizzes do, though.

Oh. She could foresee herself trying and failing to teach this idiot ganguro all throughout her middle school life.

Joy.

Yume could only feel pity and sympathised for Momoi. Well, she could at least get them out of here and off those curious stares.

"Let's go, Sat-chan.." Yume gently hooked her arm around Momoi as she softly pulled her back to class.

She dragged Momoi off the area and the stares diminished, the students minding their own businesses.

What Yume failed to notice, is that amongst those curious stares, there are **two** pairs of eyes that are scrutinising her every moves.

* * *

Momoi sighed for the umpteenth time since that huge shocks she received earlier this morning.

It's _not_ that it is an unnatural, impossible occurrence.

She just found it compelling that he could do that horrible, and she's stunned because there's a chance of it's going down-hill rather than up.

"Tell me I'm having a day-nightmare!" Momoi sank her head into her folded arms on the desk.

Denial will never solve anything, though. It just postpones things and makes it worse.

"Why.." Momoi wheezed weakly. "Why does Dai-chan has to be so lazy and dumb in _anything_ that involves words and numbers..!"

 _That's almost everything.._ Yume noted. She is actually a bit amused at how dejected Momoi is being. She can't help but let out a quiet giggle.

Momoi looks up at the sound of light giggles and pouts. "Is it that funny, Yuu-chan?"

Yume stifles her giggles as she meets Momoi's peachpink orbs, demanding answer.

"Are you sure he's not your boyfriend, Sat-chan?" Yume jokingly asked.

"No way!" Momoi exclaimed loudly as she stood up from her seat, before quickly sitting down, embarrassed.

"I'll never like that sleazy, dumb and one-track mind brat..!" Momoi hissed in a whisper.

Her mood then quickly brightens as her eyes seems to sparkle. "My kind of guy is the dreamy and mysterious kind that's like magician - like he could appear and disappear from your view if you take your eyes off him..!"

While Momoi is busy fantasising, Yume blinks in realisation. Momoi's ideal guy's description somehow matches the babyblue-locks boy. He is mysterious, quiet and he has a lack of presence.

"If I meet such a guy, I will never let him go!" Momoi closed her eyes to picture her imaginations more vividly.

Her eyes then opened with a strong determination on them as she chirped. "I will **latch** into him!"

Maybe Yume shouldn't tell Momoi about the poor boy after all - it won't feel nice having someone attached to you, does it? Even if it's a pretty girl? At least the babyblue boy doesn't seem like he'd appreciate that.

"Won't he be bothered?" Yume asked warily.

Momoi puffed her chest, her hands on her waist as she declared happily. "It the power of love, Yuu-chan."

 _Right.._ Yume could only laugh shakily at that. From what she knows, the power of love didn't work that way. Also, from what she knows, love comes in many forms - the blissful one and the harmful one - she knows **both** exist.

"How about you, Yuu-chan? What kind of boys is your type?"

Yume stiffen, her fringes shadowing her eyes. She never thought about such thing before, and she doesn't really want to think about it.

But... If Yume said so, wouldn't it be weird? Shouldn't a girl her age have a preferred type and squeal over cute boys?

Still, Yume couldn't really lie since she doesn't even have a boy in mind.

Momoi can see that Yume's in a bind, she's having trouble answering. Perhaps, she should give her a starting point?

"Ne, Yuu-chan. There's this Kise-kun in our grade, and I heard he's popular with the majority of the whole female students body. He's princely and charming." Momoi finished with a smile as she tilted her head. "Perhaps, you like that kind of guy?"

Yume looked up, her eyes confused. She realised Momoi must have help her to finish the conversation. "P-Perhaps.."

She answered hesitantly. That kind of question won't be unusual in a girl-girl conversation. Maybe Yume should've prepared an answer just in case.

"Ah! Do you want to go out together after school, Yuu-chan?" Momoi shifted the topic. "I can take a day off from practice today~!"

Yume blinked at the sudden turns in conversation. She appreciates Momoi picked up her discomfort and proceed to steer into another direction. _Sat-chan is nice, isn't she?_

Yume doesn't have any part-time works today, and she also doesn't have more leads to progress further in her search. Reviews can be done after she got home. She never plays with 'real' friends either.

"Okay. That sounds good, Sat-chan." Yume smiled as she agreed.

"Yay!" Momoi squealed as she glomped Yume in excitements and delights. "Yuu-chan, you're adorable, lovely, cute and the best!"

Yume blinked at that. _It's an exaggeration, isn't it?_ She's not even pretty. Yume returned the hug gently.

"That's not true." Yume spoke. "Sat-chan is the adorable and pretty one."

Yume is pretty much above-average looking. Her features are very Japanese-y, her figures isn't exactly an hour-glass either. Her hair is a boring and dull brown colour.

She knows she's not pretty, so she doesn't need someone to compliment her appearances.

Although, Momoi seems to disagree.

Momoi lifted her chin as she stared at Yume and huffed. "Yuu-chan is cute and adorable. I won't accept anything but that!" Momoi pouted. "You just have to be more confident in yourself, Yuu-chan!"

Yume blinked again in bewilderment. _Sat-chan is nice after all._ She can tell Momoi really thinks that she's cute, but that doesn't mean the world will agree.

"Thank you, Sat-chan.." Yume smiled as her gaze soften.

Momoi smiled, too. But she knows, Yume hasn't changed her mind about herself. Momoi can't help but wonder, _why_ can't Yume see how wonderful she is?

Momoi is a girl, and not a boy, but even she can tell that Yume's soft-limegreen Is alluring and inviting. Her earthly coloured locks is straight and flowing. Yume **is** cute.

Why doesn't Yume think so?

Momoi decides that it's her personal goal to convince Yume that she's cute and to be more self-confident.

For now, though, she will just think of the hang out.

Momoi clasped her hand as she smiled. "We will go visit cute stores, have an ice cream or crepes - maybe both, then we will have karaoke~!"

Yume can't seem to keep up with Momoi's excitements. She's also looking forward to it, but Momoi is being too hyper about it.

* * *

"Okay, class. That's all for today, I will see you tomorrow." Yoshi-sensei spoke as he left the class with a smile - he is always the friendly-chirpy kind of guy.

As soon as the words left Yoshi-sensei's lips, Momoi stood right up from her seat all ready.

"Yuu-chan, wait by the gate and I will quickly tell Dai-chan and the Coach about my absence today. See you later!"

Momoi spoke so fast, before she bolted past the door. Yume could hardly register her words, but she did catch enough to know the gist of it.

If friends eventually became **similar** to each other, and Momoi gets that energy from 'Dai-chan', _will_ she be that energetic later, too?

'..Sat-chan is a good runner..'

Yume then turned to her desk and tidied her stuffs to her schoolbag. She then slowly walk to the gate.

Even if Momoi did run all the way through, there still will be time between when Momoi arrived and Yume waited.

Yume **halted** suddenly as she _whirled_ and quicken her pace to walk the other way round.

Why? She **saw** a pale-babyblue haired ghost-like presence with a book-covered face.

Yume wishes to save herself from the embarrassment had she met the boy. Taking the long way round to the gate seems like the better, best option.

She can't help but wonder if fate is really dead-set on making her intertwined with those students she's been meeting this past week.

Yume is actually going to the same direction Momoi went to, but Yume will turn left in the form, whereas Momoi turn right - to the First Gym.

Yeah. Teikō has Three Gyms dedicated for basketball club - they have amazing history - and they provided two more Gyms for other sports like volleyball, badminton and others.

Yume is not sure why is there a need for so many Gyms just for one club. Though, Momoi did say the basketball clubs housed **hundreds** of students, so that's probably why.

Yume turned left and walk in her pace, nice and slow. It **was** , until her eyes caught someone.

There, in the corridor, are two students walking side-by-side towards her direction. A redhead and a greenhead.

Yume feels like digging a hole and sinks herself in if only to avoid meeting these two people.

Yume had to remind herself that interaction is unlikely since they don't know each other and so they won't bother her.

She regained her composure and about to walk past those students; _unfortunately_ , they had different things in mind.

"Manai Yume-san?"

Yume paused, she knows she can no longer exit the stage unnoticed. She is forced to turn and face the redhead and replied.

"Hai (yes)?" Yume tried her best to maintain her expression so it won't twist.

The redhead, otherwise known as Akashi Seijūrō, the top ranked student, smiles to Yume. "I would like to congratulate you for your outstanding scores on the aptitude test."

Says he who scores complete 100s.

"You must be the Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student the Principal was talking about."

Yume flinched at that.

The Principal? What is the talk about? Her privilege to do part-time works? The decree for her to enter the next Student Council? Whatever it was, she's sure it's nothing pleasant.

"Thank you. Akashi-san did better." Yume smiled politely as she pointed out Akashi's results.

Said boy chuckled. "Akashi is fine. We are both first years, after all."

This might be what Momoi meant when she said he is 'okay' despite his intimidating nature.

"Ja, Akashi-kun."

Akashi smiles approvingly as he then motions to the guy next to him - the librarian Yume met the other day. "This is Midorima Shintarō. He's also a first year."

Yume bowed curtly. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Manai Yume."

While it's obvious that they had known her name - Midorima read her Student ID, Akashi addressed her earlier - Yume still did the customary introduction.

Midorima nodded wordlessly. Yume mentally noted that he's bringing another _weird_ thing today - a frog figurine.

"Well, it is nice meeting you, Manai-san." Akashi spoke before he turned on his heels, followed by Midorima.

Yume nodded as she watched them leave. When they're out of sight, Yume heaved a sigh of relief.

It might just be her imagination, but the air surrounding them is repressive. Their aura of supremacy is radiating all over and it pressures her.

Yume shivered slightly. If she had to work with the redhead, she might as well **die** _standing_.

She quickened her paces to the gate, Yume refuses to encounter anymore weirdness.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Please leave a review regarding the question I asked above, about how this story will be.

It will be very much appreciated since I can't tell which one is best.

Read and Reviews~


	7. Chapter 6 - Like the passing wind

Okay, so thanks for all the reviews! I'm happy since lots of you replied to my question~! I'm making this story more Friendship-oriented, with implied romances here an there. I'm posting this chapter along with my other stories new update, and another special one - please check my page for that one~! Enjoy~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 - Like the passing wind**

With all the weird encounters Yume's been through, she can't help but be alert as she waits for Momoi to come.

Yume is standing by the gate, waiting for Momoi like she told her to. She's obviously anxious as she glanced left and right, probably so she won't have another unwanted meeting.

"Yuu-chan!"

"Eep!" Yume yelped in surprise as she flinched, then she whirled to see Momoi with a happy face. She can't help but pout _uncharacteristically_.

"Sat-chan..! Please don't do that..!" Yume whined a bit.

Yume is sensitive to loud sounds, including sudden sounds like the surprise Momoi just did. She can feel her heart thumping irregularly.

In contrast to Yume's slight annoyance, Momoi gets even happier when she saw how Yume is pouting. It's a rare occurrence she never though she'd see this soon.

"Maa, maa~ Let's go, Yuu-chan!" Momoi gushed in delight as she hooked her arm around Yume and pulled her past the gate excitedly.

Yume sighed a bit, but she let herself be pulled along with Momoi as she smiled a tiny minuscule smile. She's getting used to Momoi's bubbly demeanour.

She feels envious how Momoi's cheery disposition always manages to brighten everyone's day. _If only she was like Momoi, perhaps her parents would still be here?_

"Today will be fun, Yuu-chan!" Momoi squealed as they walked the streets. "We will be playing hard until we drop!"

Yume sweat dropped at that. She _can't_ do that, she'll still need to do today's lesson revision.

Momoi turned to Yume with a happy face as she tilted her head. "Ne, Yuu-chan. Do you have a place you want to visit?"

Yume thought for a while, but no such place comes to mind. She's new to Tokyo, and she basically spent her time with part-time works and school, so she is pretty much clueless about these kind of things.

"No.." Yume shook her head. "You can decide, Sat-chan. I don't go out much, so I wouldn't know the best places to go."

Momoi expected that, so she had prepared a _list_ of places to visit. After all, Yume doesn't seem like the type of girl that roams the town to shop.

"Ja!" Momoi cheered. "First, we will shop around cute stores in the next street! Then, we'll replenish ourselves with ice cream and crepes! And~, if we're still up to it, we will go karaoke~!"

Momoi has done plenty of researches on places to go with your bestfriends, girls-only. Game centre is fun, but Momoi's been there often with Dai-chan, and that's not a 'girly' hang out, so she'll leave it for next time.

"What do you think, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned with a smile, she wanted to know Yume's take on her plans.

Yume's not quite sure how to answer, the ideas seem great, but she's not sure she's up to it. So, she only smiles - and Momoi takes it as a 'yes'.

"Great!" Momoi smiled in relief.

The list she made is really a list of places she wanted to go with her 'girlfriends'. Her childhood friend just wouldn't be a fun companion to go shopping with. He would just grumble all the way through and ran to anything basketball then food.

With their arms still linked, Momoi talked animatedly how fun this 'date' is going to be. Yume only listened attentively while giving a smile and short responses here and there.

* * *

It **should** have been fun. At least that's what the impression gave off. Although, Yume now had to reconsider.

Momoi's been dragging Yume from one store to another, had her tried so many clothes she lost count. On a side-note, Momoi has a good artistic sense, and back to the main point, Yume is drained of energy.

Besides, Yume isn't exactly wealthy and redundant in her allowance; she had to work part-times so she could meet her day-to-day needs. She doesn't have a lot to spare for clothes and stuffs.

Yume sighed as she leaned back towards the bench she is sitting on and relaxed her tired legs.

Momoi is trying bundles of clothes while Yume is waiting for Momoi to come out so she can gave Momoi her opinion.

 **"UWAAAAAHH!"**

Yume jerked forward in surprise. It's muffled, but she could hear a terrorised shout from outside the store, said store is encased with glasses and tightly shut, so the fact that she could hear the shout means that whoever was screaming had quite a pair of healthy lungs.

Yume could see a golden-haired boy zoomed past the store as he ran in a speed of light that he's leaving trails of dust, and after him is a train of girls.

Yume blinked in bewilderment. She couldn't truly comprehend what just happened. What's more, It happened so fast Yume could only believes it's real because the clouds of dusts are still there.

"Yuu-chan! How do I look?"

Yume turned at the sudden sound and saw Momoi with a sweet one-piece, sleeveless, white in colour and with flowers pattern. She looks **stunning**.

Yume smiles sincerely in approval as she gives her most honest opinion. "You look wonderful, Sat-chan."

Momoi looks ready to glomp Yume to death by suffocation. The good news is, she's restraining herself.

"Then I'm taking this!" Momoi whirled in absolute joy as she skipped towards the cashier.

Momoi paid for the dress Yume complimented her on, and left the other clothes back to the shelf. Momoi decides she only need the dress Yume said suits her, and she's very very satisfied with that.

"Now let's get the crepes and ice cream, Yuu-chan!" Momoi cheered as she pulled Yume, a little too tight in her joyful mood.

Yume couldn't even utter a protest without biting her tongue, so she refrain from doing so. At least she could fill her stomach with the needed glucoses to replenish the ones she lost after Momoi's shopping rush.

Momoi clinked her spoon to the glass cup as she finished her treat, before she began her announcement. "Okay, now that we're done eating, we need to blast off these calories with Karaoke Extravaganza~!"

Yume is **strongly** opposed to that theory and she stood up from her seat to express her disapproval.

Except, Momoi _seems_ to take it wrongly.

"Let's go~!" Momoi yanked Yume's arm by surprise, it's easier to pull Yume along as she was standing instead of sitting.

It's simply a case where disapproval taken wrongly and even assist the case further.

Yume couldn't even get a word out and she can now only resign to whatever plans Momoi had in her sleeves. It's probably for the best.

"Ah!" Momoi exclaimed as she recalled something. She then turned to Yume who was trying to keep up with Momoi's strides. "Yuu-chan, you don't have to worry about the place being crowded, because I specifically make sure that the place is desolated around this time~!"

Yume can feel a burst of relief washed over her when she heard that. Things about Karaoke is, they are usually crowded and loud - but they are the _best_ place to sing for students like her.

Besides, Yume trusts Momoi's data, it's haven't been proven wrong, yet. Momoi has also told her about the hidden music room and other unique stuffs. It's trustworthy.

* * *

"We are here!" Momoi sing-sang as she pushed the door open. "Wait here for a while, okay, Yuu-chan?"

Yume nodded as Momoi sauntered to the front desk. As Momoi talked to the clerk, Yume looked around the place to find it human-less like Momoi claimed it to be.

"Yuu-chan~ I'm done here~!" Momoi called over, prompting Yume to turn and jogged over to Momoi.

"I book the room for an hour. Yuu-chan will be studying after this right? I can't get you tired.." Momoi smiled wryly. She feels bad dragging Yume here and there.

On the other hand, Yume is touched. She only spoke once to Momoi, about how she's reviewing lessons everyday after school. She didn't expect her to remember.

Also, it's not like Yume is unwilling to go play with Momoi. Today's been tiring and exhausting, but it's fun nonetheless.

"..No, it's fine, Sat-chan.." Yume muttered shyly, her cheeks a bit flushed as she smiled. "I have fun today.. Thank you, Sat-chan.."

Momoi is astonished by Yume's absolutely adorable reaction, but she's also happy, blissful, even.

"J-Ja! Let's get the karaoke started, Yuu-chan!" Momoi stuttered a bit as she then pulled Yume towards the room they booked.

Momoi is so happy that she is grinning from ear to ear. Yume is not that different, she probably had the biggest smile ever on her face as she nodded and hummed.

These blissful expressions are _hidden_ from both of the girls' knowledge, though - as Momoi had her back on Yume.

The girls are now sitting on the couch in the karaoke room. Momoi is browsing for songs to sing as Yume looked around.

Yume doesn't particularly like loud place where sounds echoes like Karaoke, but she _likes_ singing. It's the only music she needs no money to play.

"Yuu-chan, why don't you sing the first song?" Momoi offered kindly as she extended the mic to Yume.

Yume smiles as she nods and takes the mic. "Sure."

As the music began to fill the room, and the intro comes to play, Yume hummed before she starts singing - beautifully.

Yume's voice is sweet and gentle, it blends with the instruments and comes out clear as ringing bell chimes. Momoi is frozen and entranced in awe. She _never_ heard such godly-voice before. Dai-chan? He's a terrible singer.

When the song comes to an end, Momoi immediately clapped enthusiastically with wide eyes.

"T-That's so amazing, Yuu-chan! You could win those Karaoke or even Singing contest hands-down!" Momoi exclaimed in amazement.

Her whole life, she never heard such a melodious voice into play. She mostly went to the karaoke with Dai-chan, whose voice so low that he can't hit the tunes right, he might even be a tone-deaf in Momoi's opinion.

"That's not true." Yume shook her head humbly.

Her grandparents always compliment her on her singing voice, but that's about it. A melodious voice isn't all it takes to be a good singer; there's the range, pitch, breathing and more. Yume _only_ sings well.

"It's your turn now, Sat-chan." Yume smiled as she handed Momoi the mic. Momoi took it eagerly and Yume can't wait to hear Momoi singing.

Thing is, Yume had no idea what to say as she is frozen speechless when Momoi sang.

Momoi's voice is...for the gentle words... _not made for singing_. Her high-pitched tone threatens to pierce Yume's eardrums.

It takes **all** of Yume not to curl and cover her ears tightly. After the song ended, Yume is at a loss of words when Momoi approached her with a wide grin and asked.

"How was it, Yuu-chan?"

Now how should she answer this..

"E-Eh, a-ah.." Yume wheezed hesitantly as she tried to drag the time so she could think. Momoi's eyes sparkles and Yume can't bring herself to deliver the harsh truth.

"...I think Sat-chan sings slow and low, baritone songs better..."

It's not essentially a lie, Momoi will have the range covered in baritone songs, and she won't make high-pitched, off-tunes squeaking sounds.

"Really?" Momoi squealed in joy. "I never try singing slow and low-pitched song before, but I'l try! Only because Yuu-chan said so!"

Yume sang so good that Momoi thinks Yume is a certified critic, and Yume could only smile at the absolute trust Momoi shows her.

Thankfully, Momoi took Yume's advice to heart, and thus Yume's hearing is still intact. Momoi even did surprisingly well singing low-pitched songs like Yume suggested her to. Songs after songs are sang, and then the little alarm rings, signalling the one-hour time is up.

"Aaaah!" Momoi wailed a bit. "It's over.."

Momoi stretched her arms upward as she lamented the ended-one-hour karaoke.

"We can go again sometimes, Sat-chan." Yume smiled as she tried to cheer Momoi while pushing the door open.

"Mm!" Momoi nodded happily.

They exited the room, and about to walk out, but Momoi heard something - a faint boyish voice, singing in the room next to them.

The reason why this Karaoke place desolated is because it's old and outdated. The songs are up to dates, but the room, sound systems and the likes are pretty old stuffs; including the diminishing sound-proof walls.

"Eh, he's quite good!" Momoi hushed as she walked towards the next room.

Like Momoi said, the boy did sing **fairly** well. It's a little high for a boy's voice, so he might not reach puberty just yet. What curious is that the boy is singing _oldies_ \- around 3 decades before his generation.

"Sat-chan.. It's not nice to eavesdrop.." Yume tried to pull Momoi back, but Momoi is stronger and she's pulled forward instead.

"Just a peek, Yuu-chan~" Momoi chirped as she creaked the door slightly open.

Momoi sees a tuft of golden singing oldies song perfectly in sync, moreover, she recognised the Teikō's student uniform!

With her curiosity taking over, Momoi leaned closer as Yume tried to pull her back, this cause Momoi to lose her footing and she fell, bringing along Yume with her.

"Oomph!"

"Ah!"

The boy flinched and stopped singing as he whirled towards the door and the intruders.

"That hurts..! Are you okay, Yuu-chan?" Momoi rubbed her sore spot as she turned to Yume.

'I know we shouldn't do this..' Yume inwardly grumbled.

She's been unlucky these days, nothing is going according to plan. She's thankful her part-time works are not disrupted, though that may changes soon.

"Hmm?" The boy raised his brow in a quizzical manners. He then pointed to Yume in recognition as he gaped a bit. "You're the girl with the _panda_ pouch!"

The girls stood up and dusted themselves, momentarily ignoring his remark. They then bowed as one.

"We are sorry for eavesdropping on you."

Momoi stopped there, but Yume continued.

"..and yes, I'm that girl." Yume confirmed.

Momoi blinked at that before she whispered to Yume. "You know him, Yuu-chan..?"

"He helped me pick my fallen pouch before." Yume whispered back.

"Ehh.." Isn't this a coincidence? "This is the popular guy I was talking about earlier, Kise-kun."

"Aa.." Yume mumbled in disinterest.

She never cares for these kinds of superficial things. Yume took Momoi's hand, before she bowed again.

"I'm really sorry for disturbing you. Please excuse us." Yume spoke, then she pulled Momoi out of the room, bewildering the latter.

"E-Eh, Yuu-chan?" Momoi squeaked. She then hurriedly say her farewell as she is dragged away. "A-Ah, goodbye, Kise-kun."

Soon after Momoi said that, the door to the room is shut closed, leaving him alone in the room. 'Kise' is baffled as the girls were gone with the wind.

He then shrugged it off and continued singing the oldies, enjoying it. He sings it perfectly, although his boyish appearances certainly doesn't match the old themes.

This time, Momoi is the one panting as she tried to catch up with Yume's for-once speedy legs.

"Y...Yu..Yuu-chan..." Momoi panted. "Wh-Why the sudden marathon..?"

Yume took another few steps before stopping. She's tired, too. She took a breath and out to relax her breathing.

Though, Yume's not sure what to answer to Momoi's question other then 'don't know' or 'just feel like it'.

At the lack of answer, Momoi pouted, but she waved it off. "Forget it then. But...this is it for today, eh, Yuu-chan?"

Momoi smiled sadly, she is unwilling to part with Yume and end the day. She knows all things eventually come to an end, but today is just so fun she wishes to prolong it.

"I'm taking the bus.. Are you walking, Yuu-chan?" Momoi asked, trying to lift her mood.

"Yes." Yume nodded. "I live quite near."

Yume's apartment is two to three blocks away from Teikō, and since the street they are in now is the street next to Teikō, she's not that far off.

Momoi blinked. "Does that mean Yuu-chan live near the school?"

Yume smiles at that. Momoi is perceptive. "Mm."

"That's so cool!" Momoi gushed. "Can I come visit sometimes?"

Momoi _always_ wanted to visit her friend's home, all this time, it's only Dai-chan's - his house is next to hers. She doesn't want to impose on Yume and her family, though.

"Sure." Yume smiled, also excited at the thought.

Like Momoi, Yume always wanted her friends came over to her home, or coming over to their homes. Back in Kyoto, she lives with her grandparents, and Yume just didn't want to intrude on their private spaces. That changes now, she's in Tokyo.

"Yayy!" Momoi cheered in delight. She then quieted down, before smiling softly. "I had fun today."

Yume also found herself smiling. "I had fun, too."

The two girls shared a smile and a friendship moment as they stood there with the setting sun as the background.

If before, they didn't understand, they do now. They are _bestfriends_ and each other's first friend.

Though, in Momoi's case, it's first girlfriend.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	8. Chapter 7 - Coming events cast their

This chapter is mostly plots advancement, so there're few time skips. I think I will be introducing Yume into the rest of the Generation of Miracles soon, in about 2 more chapters perhaps? What's your suggestions?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 7 - Coming events cast their shadows before them**

Making a decision is never easy, and so it was for Yume, but her choice of option is _limited_ , which makes it even harder for Yume to answer.

Yume is standing idly before the luxurious dark-wooden door, her feet shifting now and then. It's the Principal Office she's about to knock.

Yume actually wishes things doesn't have to end this way, but who is she to say? Yume's only a student here, a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student, with more obligations to the school compared with Teikō regular students.

With the funs Yume had with Momoi these past weeks, the matters concerning entering the Student Council had totally slipped out her mind, _if_ Momoi hadn't remind her about it.

Momoi was talking animatedly about the Student Council election in 2 weeks time. The collection for candidates had started, and as expected Akashi and Midorima are there, running as the President and Vice President consecutively.

Hearing that, Yume can't help but remember the Principal's decree about two weeks ago. She had to give her answer soon, which is a pre-determined 'yes', seeing how she is left with no other choice.

Yume finally steeled her resolve and calmed her irregular heart beats, then she knocked.

 ***Knock* *Knock***

"Excuse me, Principal. I'm Manai Yume, I'm here to give my answer."

 _"Manai-san. Come in."_

Yume lightly pushed the door, stepped inside, and closed the door behind her. She walked closer to where the Principal is sitting behind his desk and bowed curtly.

"Manai-san. I have been waiting for you." The Principal smiled, then he gestured to one of the seats by his desk. "Have a seat."

"Oh, no." Yume shook her head as she refused politely. "I'm only here to deliver my answer regarding the matters concerning the Student Council."

Yume stood quietly, pausing for a reaction from the Principal. The Principal smiles, as he patiently waited for Yume to speak, and she took that as her cue.

"..Yes."

Yume finally answered, her tone and gaze straight, unwavering. She can't back out now. She inhaled a sharp breath and steeled her gaze.

"I will run my candidacy for the Treasurer seat in the next Student Council election."

Yume spoke loud and clear, her emerald orbs hues unfaltering. The Principal is quiet for a moment, before he smiled proudly, and wide.

"You made a brilliant decision, Manai-san." The Principal hummed, clearly feeling joyful. "Oh, and before I forgot."

Yume lifted her gaze, inwardly questioning what else is there.

The Principal smiles. "Congratulations to your outstanding aptitude test scores, Manai-san. It's a pleasant surprise." Yume is inwardly relieved. "Let me say it again, Manai-san. I've got _great_ expectations of you."

Yume stiffened. She's not sure what the Principal is planning by exerting more pressures on her, but she couldn't care less about that now.

"Thank you, Principal." Yume bowed. "Please excuse me."

Yume looked up to see the Principal with his 'smile', so she took it as her cue to exit the room without even a glance back.

With the door closed behind her, Yume is downcast as she realised her candidacy for the Treasurer (which is already confirmed), will hinder her part-time works, and that she'll have to give up on some she currently had.

It's unfortunate, because she's already got the hang of things in her new part-time works. She was a mess when she just came from Kyoto, not a real mess, but needs help and guidance.

Yume shook her head to clear her depressing thoughts. 'I'll be fine.' She told herself.

'I need to look on the positive sides of things.' Yume is starting to feel pumped up, her minds clearer than before.

Besides, Yume will still be able to earn enough and save some even with a smaller amount than before. This is also her responsibility as a Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student.

She'll be fine.

Yume took her first step confidently as she waltzed back to class, where Momoi is _anxiously_ waiting for her returns.

* * *

"Yuu-chan!"

Momoi leaped at Yume on her first glance when Momoi saw her. Momoi hugged her first, to provide comfort.

"You did good, Yuu-chan.." Momoi soothed with a gentle voice.

Yume feels warm in her heart, and she feels truly blessed for having Momoi as her bestfriend.

The two then moved to their seats to have a private chat in quiet whispers, mostly about Yume's visit to the Principal's Office.

"I had agreed.." Yume began quietly, her mood somber. "I'll have to give up some of my part-time works, depending on the Student Council's schedule..."

Momoi is listening attentively, and Yume continued with a heavy sigh. "I'll have to inform my employers about this..."

Yume smiled sadly, even though she honestly feels grateful. "...It's a good thing that most of my employers are kind and understanding.."

Momoi heaved a sigh of relief as she put her hand over her chest. At the very least, her bestfriend will be fine.

Momoi grinned, leaning closer to Yume's ear. "Even with the result being fixed, I'll still vote for you, Yuu-chan!"

Yume finds herself smiling at Momoi's playful tone, and she decided to went along with her.

"Please take care of me, and thank you very much for your cooperation." Yume answered formally, which sounded playful in the situation they're in.

The two girls giggle quietly until the teacher came and started the class.

* * *

 **D-3.**

Today, students running for the candidacy of Student Council had to give a short presentation as to why they're worthy.

The stages are the same one used for the entrance ceremony, and students from first to third years are neatly seated on the provided seats, along with teachers by the sides.

Students presenting are gathered and seated on the backstage to prepare for their entrance later on - **no** exception made.

As one of students to showcase their presentations, Yume is sitting on one of the provided seats for the candidates in the backstage. Other students are prepping for their presentation, rehearsing their prepared beforehand speeches and such.

Yume is feeling _rattled_ with the amount of pressure and anxieties floating in the air. She didn't feel comfortable standing before mass of crowds. She **never** did.

Doubts started to fill Yume. Will she really be able to give a decent presentation that's actually worthy enough to get her the Treasurer seat? What if she makes a fool of herself?

Gray clouds loomed over her as Yume is depressingly quiet and her fringes overshadowed her expression, a habit of hers whenever she's deep in thoughts.

"Manai-san. You're here."

Yume lifted her head, surprise evident in her limegreen orbs. She saw the famous Akashi Seijūrō before her, which is _expected_ and _unexpected_ at the same time.

It's _expected_ that he's here, in the backstage along with other candidates as he is one of them, and it's _unexpected_ that he would approach Yume when they know next to nothing about each other.

At least it is, in Yume's case. She wouldn't know if the redhead had her background throughly investigated. According to Momoi, such action is regarded as _common_ in the world of the rich - not that Yume would know.

On the contrary, Akashi is smiling kindly, full of confidence. Like he didn't feel even an ounce of pressure to stand and talk before the crowds.

Akashi chuckled softly. "You must be nervous, Manai-san."

Yume gulped at that, it's true that she's growing even more anxious by the minutes as the presentations draws closer. She **never** likes the crowds nor noises.

"Relax, Manai-san. Just do what you do best." Akashi advised kindly. "You'll do fine."

"You won't make stupid mistakes and embarrass yourself." Akashi continued as Yume flinched at the mention of making mistakes.

Yume weakly fiddled with her fingers, in hope to distract her nerves. She's feeling all tensed up, and she can feel her erratic heartbeats.

Akashi orbs then took a sudden steely glints and his tone sharpens. _"You will be chosen as the Treasurer with the students' votes, excluding the slated result."_

Yume turns cautious after Akashi finished his statements. She warily eyed him with a quiet whisper. "..How did you know that?"

Akashi smiled knowingly, like he expected that. His smile is eerily beautiful in a way it's kind of twisted.

 **"Because I know everything."**

Yume felt the chills down her spine at the dark tone Akashi carried. His intonation, his smile, and the way he looks in entirety... _frightens_ her.

 **This is not Akashi.**

At least not the Akashi that addressed Yume weeks ago. This Akashi is more commanding, oppressive and scary. There's not a shred of humanity felt from this dark Akashi.

And Yume is absolutely **terrified** , she can feel the icy air surrounding them as time seems to froze over. She is trapped, and she can't shook herself awake.

"Well then, Manai-san." Akashi smiled, returning to his usual gentlemanly demeanour. "I wish you luck."

Akashi walked away without another word, and he finally disappeared from view. Moments after Akashi left, and Yume could still feel her heart thumping in an alarming rate following the rendezvous with Akashi.

It's **fear**.

Akashi instilled fear in her when he spoke, with his tone void of emotions.

'W-Wha...What's with that just now...?' Yume dumbly muttered in her messed up mind, feeling utterly confused.

 _"—me!"_

What just happened, Yume can't truly comprehend. Only **two** things she could be sure of: **One** , _That Akashi is not Akashi;_ **Two** _, Yume is terrified of that Akashi._

 _"Ma—"_

It **doesn't** make sense, and at the same time, it _does_. Yume couldn't put into words what she's feeling for the redhead. It's like everything about Akashi is contradictions, where right coincides with wrong.

 _"Manai Yume-san!"_

Yume jerked out from her stupor when one of the committees member called her for the third time.

"It's your turn soon." The committee member muttered exasperatedly.

Yume nodded meekly, before she then readied herself with sets of breathing to regain her composure.

'I need to focus..' Yume straighten her gaze and finally head to the stage.

As soon as Yume stepped into the stage, faint murmurs could be heard, and she could feel her anxieties crawling up.

Yume could feel her mental state failing and crumble under pressures, because crowds and noises are her greatest enemies.

 _"Listen, Yuu-chan.."_

A remnant of memories from this morning flashed before Yume's mind - it was her conversation with Momoi before she went to the backstage.

 _Momoi was smiling as she held Yume's hands, not too tight, but reassuring. "Girls have their own ways to fight." Momoi looked up to Yume, her peachpink orbs meeting Yume's limegreens._

 _"Smile. It's a girl's greatest weapon, a beautiful, charming one."_

 _Momoi flashed a smile to Yume, and it brightens her entire being as she seems to sparkle and shine._

Yume stood by the podium, with her eyes closed. _Sat-chan is right_. No matter where and when, a smile is a smile.

Yume opens her eyes, her limegreen orbs seems to glimmer so _softly_ under the dim stage lights, and her warm smile _lights_ up her features, her _serene_ expression makes her looks _prettier_.

These effects immediately calmed the crowds, as they were momentarily entranced, some of the guys even blushed, despite Yume not being a knock-out beauty.

"Good morning." Yume saluted politely. "My name is Manai Yume from 1-B."

"I am the holder of this year Teikō's Special Academic Excellence Scholarship Student."

Some gasps were heard, along with murmurs from the students, even Yume's classmates. Little to none knows who held the Special Academic Excellence Scholarship, and Yume's classmates certainly _didn't_ expect Yume to be it.

Yume smiles. "I know the scholarship doesn't reflect my ability, but it shows my credibility."

"..I have been handling my family's monetary issues since I was a child, when my parents entrusted it to me."

"I had also helped managing my primary school's monetary fund back in my hometown."

"...and I have been offered an internship at one particular company after my primary school's Principal recommended me for my managerial capabilities."

"I...am _lacking_ charisma and confidence...that's why I am attracted to leaders who possessed such qualities to lead and guide me."

Yume then walked to the podium's side and bowed gracefully. She then lifted her head and smiled softly.

"I wish for your most generous cooperation and thank you for hearing my presentation."

It was silent for a while, and Yume internally wondered if she did so bad that it's awfully quiet.

Until a single clap from Momoi started with an absolutely blissful and proud look, and quickly followed by many others thunderous claps.

 ***CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP***

Yume flinched at the loud noise, she then searched for Momoi. When she found her, Yume smiles to Momoi and Momoi smiles back, lifting a thumb up.

* * *

Yume heaved a sigh of relief as she put her hand over her chest, calming her erratic heart beats. She is currently sitting at one of the seats backstage.

It's finally over.

"Yuu-chan!" Momoi exclaimed as she ran to hug Yume. "Congratulations! Oh, perhaps it's too early? A-Anyway! You're absolutely _amazing_ out there! The students were so entranced they forgot clapping!"

Yume smiles wearily. "Thanks, Sat-chan.. I feel relieved now.." Yume admitted, she's been feeling a little under the weather these days when thinking about today.

The heavy burdens had rolled off her shoulders now that she's done it. Now all it's left is to wait until the presentation ends, then the election result two days away.

Momoi nodded and tugged at Yume's wrist towards the seats on the hall. "We can watch the other candidates now!"

As always, Yume let herself be dragged by Momoi. It's been counted as normal after she had went out with Momoi couples of time.

"I'm interested in Akashi-kun's and Midorin's presentation!" Momoi chirped.

Akashi is likely to be as perfect and flawless as ever, but she is _very_ _very_ interested in how the grumpy Midorima might perform.

"Oh! I also want to _introduce_ you to Dai-chan!" Momoi turned to Yume. "He was sitting next to me because he actually attended this gathering!"

Momoi remembered that 'Dai-chan' can't skip because his homeroom teacher caught him when he's about to escape. It was so amusing, how Takeda-sensei _dragged_ said boy by the ear.

After hearing 'Dai-chan', Yume stiffened. She _did_ remember seeing a tanned boy, frowning as he sat next to Momoi.

It seems like with her presentation over, Yume would have others to attend to before the Student Council election in two days time.

Like with a certain tanned male, a scary red-head, and wordless greenette.

 _Oh boys._

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	9. Chapter 8 - To go in the right ear and

Here is today's update, as promised, the Chapter 8 of Dreams of Life~ I sincerely wish the next update won't be so far away.. Tomorrow will be a Rainbow Drops update~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 8 - To go in the right ear and out the left**

One should have face their fears head on to conquer them, but it should be done when one is _truly_ ready.

Yume can feel Momoi's strength pulling her away from her comfort zone and towards the war zone where noisy crowds and 'Dai-chan' are.

She tried to resist, but Momoi is unstoppable when she's excited. It seems that the muscles Yume built from various part-time works can't rival those of Momoi's from being the Basketball Club's manager.

What works did Momoi does exactly? Is being a manager in the Boy's Basketball Club requires that much muscle strengths?

Yume can feel her heart thumping irregularly from the anxieties. She is feeling even more anxious than when she's readying for her presentation before.

It seems fate is really against Yume these days.

The tanned teen in question is in sight, a couple feets away, leaning against the chair as he yawned lazily. He never likes this kind of boring, yawn-inducing, kind of gathering.

If only his homeroom teacher, Takeda-sensei, didn't drag him forcefully. He could still feel his ear throbbing with pains. He couldn't understand why he's required to attend this gathering when he have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Except the voting that is.

Momoi is joyful as she crept to her childhood friend. She would have yelled, but there're too many people, so she obviously can't. Momoi had save a seat next to her for Yume.

When Momoi is near the boy's hearing range, she whispered. "Dai-chan..!"

Said boy perked up and whirled to her direction with an inquisitive look.

Yume gulped, fearing for interactions to come. Why can't just Heaven left her be? Hasn't she done enough by submitting to the Student Council?

Momoi opened her mouth to speak. "Th—"

 ***BZING...!***

The microphones made a loud buzzing sound, making the attendants cringe.

"Uh. Eh–em. We apologise for the earlier mishap. The presentation will now continue. Please welcome, Honoka Mayuko."

Welcoming claps followed soon after as a tall girl walked to the stage. This put a halt to Momoi's much awaited introduction, to her dismay.

On the contrary, Yume could thankfully sighed in relief. For now, she won't have to worry about confronting this 'Dai-chan'.

Momoi and Yume sat down on their respective seats, with Yume next to Momoi, who sat next to 'Dai-chan'. They are now watching the presentation from the rest of the candidates.

Some did well, some adequate, while some isn't very good. Despite that, the least they could do is at Teikō's standard, which is more than acceptable in most schools.

"It's Akashi-kun's turn soon!" Momoi whispered cheerily as her face lit up with excitements. "Akashi-kun's presentation ought to be flawless..!"

Yume inwardly agreed. She can tell, when she met him backstage. Akashi is confident and unwavering. Like it's something normal to him and that he's done hundreds of simulation.

Carrying the name of 'Akashi' might weigh way more than Yume can ever imagine, not that she have to know. It's unlikely Yume's and Akashi's world would coincide.

"Heh?" The tanned boy muttered as his brows furrowed. "I didn't know Akashi applied for the Student Council."

Momoi was stunned speechless for a moment, before she turned to him sharply. She's feeling utterly frustrated.

"..What exactly _did_ you know, Dai-chan?" Momoi questioned in exasperation.

"Hm?" The boy raised his brow, then he grinned. "Of course, it's bas—"

"and don't say it's basketball." Momoi cut off with a glare. "You're coming to school to learn and not just play basketball, for God's sake, Dai-chan!"

What exactly goes through this basketball junkie's mind? It can't be 'basketball' and only 'basketball', can it?

"Basketball is after school club activities, and not the school." Momoi continued as she sighed tiredly. "It's like you are putting the cart before the horse!"

Yume inwardly agreed with Momoi, like seriously? Being in the same school but didn't even notice the wide-scaled Student Council's election promotion? What exactly is the boy doing at school?

"Now please welcome, Akashi Seijūrō."

At that, Momoi and Yume, even the disinterested Aomine turned heads to the stage. After all, it is Akashi.

On cue, Akashi takes the stage. He walks to the podium and lowers the microphone closer. Yume can't detect any signs of nervousness in Akashi's every gestures, on the contrary, he looks as ready as one could ever be.

"Good morning, Principal Kobayashi, respected teachers and fellow learning students." Akashi smiled charmingly.

Yume finds herself attracted to those pair of ruby orbs, and she zoned off then. Only to awoke with a loud thunderous claps.

"Uwahh! As expected of Akashi-kun! He is just so perfect..!" Momoi clapped, before turning to the startled Yume. "Isn't he, Yuu-chan?"

"Eh?" Yume muttered in surprise, before realising Momoi's earlier question. "..Ah...yes.."

Frankly speaking, Yume feels overwhelmed by Akashi's existence alone. She can't forget those dark airs just moments ago, and how he lives in a world she can't relates to.

Can Yume really work with him (peacefully) in the Student Council later on?

"Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned, she can tell Yume is uneasy, and it's easy to tell why. "It will be okay, Yuu-chan!"

Yume blinked. "What is?"

Momoi grinned. "Akashi-kun will only assign works he know others are capable of. So you will be fine!"

"Yeah. Like givin' advices to quadruple trainings until we can't walk but crawl." Aomine snorted. "To hell with 'others capabilities'."

Momoi paused at that. That **did** happen.

While Yume shuddered at the thoughts. She could picture it now. How Akashi slams piles of papers on her desk, telling her to do it on one day, and Yume working desperately to finish it.

Yume turns pale. Can she really survive working in the Student Council, for a year at least?

'Tsk. That baka!' Momoi kicked Aomine wordlessly without even turning. "Ow! What's that for, Satsuki?! I say nothin' wrong!"

"Anyway, I doubt that Akashi-kun will be that cruel to girls, Yuu-chan." Momoi reassured Yume, smiling.

Yume is skeptical though and her expression shows it clearly.

"Next is Midorima Shintarō, please welcome."

That's another person whose name immediately earns Momoi's, Yume's and Aomine's attention.

Midorima walked into the stage, looking stiff. It seems he's nervous, but he manages it well. Also, Cancer's today lucky item - **a green bowtie** \- is neatly worn around his neck, which only served to comical effects.

Even Yume is amused that she had to stifle her incoming laughters.

"Gahahaha! What's with that!" Aomine laughed, until. "Ga–ck! S-Satsuki..!"

To keep him in line, Momoi harshly nudged Aomine so that he winced in pain instead. Yume sweat dropped. It must not be easy being Momoi.

Back on stage, Midorima stiffly ignored all hilarious remarks and continued with his presentation. He did fairly well, minus the horoscope related speech.

Yume did recall that the greenette did ask her horoscope the day they met at the library. It seems Midorima is obsessed with it - hard.

"..Haha... Midorin is...a bit weird..." Momoi awkwardly remarked, twiddling her fingers. "..but he's not bad kid deep down..! Just a little...dishonest.."

"You meant Tsundere."

Momoi tried to kick Aomine again at that, but this time Aomine avoided in time.

Aomine snickered as Momoi tsked. Yume sweat dropped at their childish exchange.

Are they really just childhood friend? When one day the news of them dating comes, Yume won't be surprised.

Aomine and Momoi suits each other just fine. They even compliments each other well.

Anyway, the following candidates aren't as appealing or interesting, but out of politeness, Yume attentively listened to them all.

When it finally ends, Yume, Momoi and Aomine exited the hall, Aomine trailing by the back as Yume and Momoi chatted.

"It's quite high-level considering we're still in middle school." Momoi noted, earning a nod from Yume. "Then again this is Teikō."

After all, Teikō has their own sets of standard which is known to be strict.

"Ah, right!" Momoi halted as she turned. "Dai-chan! Come here, hurry!"

 **Uh. Oh.**

"What?" Aomine asked gruffly, but still obediently walking to the two girls.

"I'll introduce you!" Momoi smiled, pointing to Yume. "Dai-chan, this is Yuu-chan," Then she pointed at Aomine. "Yuu-chan this is Dai-chan!"

"Dai-chan is my childhood friend, Yuu-chan is my best friend!"

Aomine took a while to process that, and raised his brow. "Haa? Since when?"

He obviously don't remember as almost everything Momoi said went through one ear then the other.

"..I've been telling you **everyday**!" Momoi deadpanned.

"Ah, really? Don't heard it."

Momoi huffed in frustration. Why is Aomine her only childhood friend? If only a girl like Yume lives in her neighbourhood.

"A-Ah.. My name is Manai Yume.. I-It's nice to meet you.." Yume bowed awkwardly.

Aomine blinked in surprise. Never before he had seen someone bowing as they introduce themselves.

"O-O.. Nice to meet you too.." Aomine scratched his head. "Oh, right.. My name is Aomine Daiki."

With the (awkward) introduction done, Momoi took it to the next stage.

"Now that we know each other, we can have lunch **together** from now on!" Momoi chirped.

"..Whatever." Aomine isn't against the idea.

But Yume is reluctant.

"I'm looking forward to tomorrow!" Momoi squealed. "Maybe I should cook a bento, too!"

 **"NO!"**

Yume and Aomine chorused. Both understanding the horrors behind the word 'bento' when associated with Momoi.

"Eh? Why?" Momoi pouted.

Yume panicked, trying to find plausible reasons. "A-Ah! I-I want to cook for you, Sat-chan! T-There's a new recipe I want you to try!"

Aomine gulped.

"..Mm... Okay, Yuu-chan!" Momoi nodded delightfully. Yume's bento tastes good.

Aomine gaped slightly. He is admittedly impressed with Yume's reasonings and how it got an immediate 'okay' from Momoi, delighted even.

"Well, let's go now, Yuu-chan! It's class time!" Momoi hooked her arm around Yume and skipped to class, leaving Aomine by himself.

"Ah, wait a minute, Sat-chan..!" Yume squeaked, trying to follow Momoi's pace.

Aomine scratched his head awkwardly. "...At least that girl doesn't seem like a bad kid.." He muttered, before chasing after the girls. "Oi! Wait a bit!"

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	10. Chapter 9 - Ignorance is bliss

This is a chapter after quite a while.. I suppose I won't be updating this one often since I will be focusing on Rainbow Drops. Well, enjoy~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 9 - Ignorance is bliss**

Something fun for you might not be as fun for another. Which is why **balance** is important to reach an agreement for both parties.

However, things don't always turn out as expected. Sometimes, the one with stronger force wins, even with the expenses of another.

Momoi is very excited that her feet and fingers won't keep still. She hums and taps her fingers against the table following the tune.

Next to her seat, Yume is in a whole different dimension as she is so anxious that she twiddles her fingers and her feet shifts nervously under the table.

Unlike Momoi who is well-acquainted with the tanned male, Yume has just known the stranger. She fears of making the wrong remarks, or just being plainly rude by being unresponsive.

What is she supposed to talk about with boys her age?

 ***RINGGGGG***

The bell signalling the start of lunch break rings, and Yume's dreaded meeting is just around the corner.

"I've been looking forward to this day!" Momoi squealed in delight, her eyes sparkling. "..and to Yuu-chan's cooking!"

Yume managed a smile. Maybe she should see it from the positive side? Like having another friend..?

"Okay, GO!" Momoi pulled Yume's wrist without warning, and the latter almost lost her footing if she hadn't tried to keep up with the sudden jerk.

"Gah! Watch it!" Aomine squawked and Momoi forced a giggle. Momoi almost bumped into Aomine who was about to enter the classroom. "Yo." He lifted his hand at Yume, who bowed.

"Wh-" Aomine was about to ask where they are going when the excited Momoi pulled his arm with her other hand, humming a happy tone.

'..Sat-chan is _kind_ of like a bull when she is excited..' Yume kept her thoughts to herself, gazing subtly at the pinkette. She stole glances at the gruff male. '..but Aomine-kun is _actually_ behaving.. He isn't mad?'

'Anyway.. I'm honestly quite tired always getting pulled by Sat-chan..' Yume let out a sigh, - which happened simultaneously as Aomine's sigh.

The two teens blinked before turning to stare at each other. Yume smiled wryly, and Aomine returned the wistful smile. If the male that knows Momoi best is Aomine, then the female that knows Momoi best is Yume, excluding said girl's parents, of course.

That's why Aomine and Yume can relate to each other, and how hyper the cheerful pinkette can be. Also how seemingly _impossible_ she is to be stopped.

For the past few minutes, Yume has been shifting restlessly while peeking to her side once in a while. Momoi is sitting in between Yume and Aomine, enjoying her lunch (Yume's courtesy), with Aomine scarfing down his lunch (which is meat-exclusive).

To be very honest, Yume is feeling so nervous that she can't even properly taste the food she's eating. It's been implied that she isn't as welcoming towards stranger, she is still reluctant around Momoi as it is.

With Aomine in the equation, Yume is in a dilemma. She knows she can't just brush him off since he's Momoi's childhood friend, and it also wouldn't be polite when they are now acquainted.

Yume knows, but she _can't_ just readily accept his company. Her brain is telling her 'it's okay', but her heart is refusing firmly. What is she to do?

Aomine tsked. He bit his chopsticks as he eyed the music room around. He narrowed his eyes. "This place is lacking breeze and sunlight. How can you girls eat in an eerie place like this?"

Momoi huffed. "Dai-chan won't understand the charm of this place!" There's always a music room romance in Shoujo mangas! Her eyes sparkling. "Isn't it _romantic_? Eating in a quiet, peaceful place with an old elegant piano by the corner.." Momoi murmured dreamily, picturing her 'prince' reaching for the black and white tuts. "..then if someone were to play a music to accompany the leisure lunch time..."

Yume sweat dropped. She knows Momoi is a girl full of fantasies, but she knows no bound, eh?

"What's with that ridiculous, impossible talk?" Aomine scoffed. Momoi need to get her head whacked and see straight. "What's likely is that a ghost will pop out somewhere in the room." Aomine's face turned grim as he mentioned the ghost.

Momoi paled slightly, taking Aomine's plausible comment. She **never** likes ghost. Fact is, _both_ she and Aomine share their fears of ghost.

Yume only listened as she bit on her lunch, feeling slightly relaxed now as the conversation goes. She never really believes in ghost and supernatural stuffs. Yume is the type that, seeing is believing. So she won't, until she sees one.

 _"..This is all because of Dai-chan..."_ Momoi muttered weakly, almost inaudible. She glared at her childhood friend. "I'm scared now, and I can't calm down!" Momoi pouted accusingly.

"I'm not the one that choose this room!" Aomine retorted, returning the glare. Momoi doesn't back down, she keeps on glaring at the male.

Eventually the tension is too much for Yume. "U-Um.. Please calm down, Sat-chan.. Aomine-kun.." Yume spoke meekly from her seating position. Maybe she should say something else? "..Uh, and it's fine. Teikō never mentions their 7 mysteries involve an empty, unused music room.."

If Yume's intention was to calm the two teens, then she did **wrong**. Momoi and Aomine stiffened before they shuddered, their faces blue.

 **"How did you know of that?!"** They screamed bloody murders. "And _I_ don't even know Teikō had one of those 7 mysteries things!" Momoi added with horror. Her data was supposed to be flawless!

Yume blinked, and she opened her mouth to answer. "I r-"

 **"No. Stop."** Momoi and Aomine cut in, shoving their hands at Yume's face. "We don't need to know that."

"I want my school life in peace and ghost-free." Momoi quickly added. Her face pale. "I don't need nor do I want to know."

"I-I'm not interested. It's not like I believe in ghosts." Aomine reasoned, laughing shakily. Although, it's obvious he is when he stammered, his fingers even trembled.

All the while, Yume kept her indifferent expression. 'I was about to say it was from one of the books in Teikō's Library..' From their reactions, she can conclude; Momoi and Aomine are scared of ghost.

Of course, Yume wouldn't mention it in their presences. There's something known as a 'decency' and this is just one of those cases.

"..We can have lunch somewhere else then..?" Yume suggested. She is actually secretly hoping they won't have to eat together until they found a place to eat - which considering Teikō's strict policy involving lunch on the school grounds, is much _more_ than just possible.

"Hmm..." Momoi hummed in thought. "I agree that we should move somewhere else so peace could be reinstated.. but where in Teikō?"

Even Aomine is actually thinking hard as he mentally pictured places around the school.

After awhile of silence, Yume is inwardly relieved as the two teenagers are showing no reactions. This means she won't have to have lunch together.

"Hmmmmmmm..." Momoi is deeply in thought. 'Dai-chan wants a brighter place with open breeze.. _Open..?_ ' Momoi's eyes widen in realisation. "That's it!" she shouted. "The rooftop!"

Aomine's eyes widen before his grins stretched to his ears. "That's the _perfect_ place!" He high-fived Momoi.

Momoi grins. "Teikō had more than one rooftop with the huge buildings, so we'll be able to get one reserved for us only! I'm a genius!" she squealed.

Well, Yume certainly doesn't share the joy. She grieved as her face turned purple. Her plan failed her. This means a three-some lunch will be a regular occurrence from now on.

'I can feel my stomach dropping..' Yume cringed inwardly. She would have to put up with this awkwardness, which hopefully won't be long until she get used to it, or the boy, whichever comes first.

"Awesome! I can even take a nap on the rooftop! Wonder why I don't think of it earlier?" Aomine asked himself, biting on his chopsticks.

Momoi snickers, giving Aomine an underestimating look. "Isn't it because you're an idiot, Dai-chan?"

That statement irked Aomine and the two started to bicker like primary grade children. They certainly are excited.

Meanwhile, Yume is trying to keep up with their excitements. She can't help but conclude that it's no wonder the two gets along, they're almost on the same wavelength.

If Momoi was a guy, Yume is sure she and Aomine would hit it off like a home run. They'll get along amazingly great with an undoubted chemistry and unwavering bromance.

Yume sighed inwardly with a faraway look. She had given up on the normal, peaceful school life she dreamed of. '..At the very least, please don't let me encounter anymore of problematic schoolmates on my part-time works..."

It's only a matter of time before Yume's sincere prayers are answered otherwise. The girl would be frantic, but far from distressed.

* * *

The next day comes too fast for Yume's liking. She should have ran, and it's not like she _didn't_ _try_. Unfortunately, Momoi had Yume's arm hooked, restricting her movements.

As a sensible girl she is, Momoi actually noticed Yume's reluctance to make friends. But it's because she knows, that she wanted Yume to make more friends.

Like the day before, Aomine was already at the doorstep minutes into lunch break. It honestly makes Yume wonder just when did the boy leave class, and how fast did he ran.

Nonetheless, the three teens head to the third rooftop after exchanging brief greetings. The rooftop is just perfect, and they are more than glad for having find an empty one for themselves.

"The announcement is today, isn't it, Yuu-chan?" Momoi asked suddenly. The girl next to her nodded, chewing on her food.

Aomine raised his brow. "What announcement?" he asked dumbly. The boy came to school for afternoon naps and basketball after school.

His childhood friend knows that by heart. She finds it so 'Dai-chan'-like. "The Student Council selection, of course!" Momoi huffed.

He raised his brow even more. "So what if today's the announcement? It's not like any of us is in it."

The boy's helpless ignorance earned him a whack on the head, courtesy of exasperated Momoi. "What is it this time, Satsuki?!" he hollered, holding the part where it hurts. "and honestly, stop doing that!"

Aomine's lack of remembrance actually lowered Yume's confidence. '..Did I make that little impression that Aomine-kun doesn't remember me..?' she frowned inwardly.

"Yuu-chan _is_ one of the candidates!" Momoi cried out in distress. Yume is already lacking self-confidence as she is, and he had to make it worse!

Aomine's eyes widened the sizes of dinner plates. _"Seriously?"_ he asked in a disbelieving tone.

Momoi puffed her chest. "Seriously. For your information, Yuu-chan applied for the Treasurer seat." she then deflated, shaking her head in defeat. "I'm sure you had your eyes open then. I don't get how you could miss Yuu-chan speaking on the stage?"

Aomine ignored Momoi's statement to stare at Yume with new-found respect. As ignorant and stupid as he is, even he knows those entering the Student Council election are the elites of elites in terms of academics - a feat he would never ever achieve.

Obviously, Yume noticed that sparkling dark-blue eyes boring into her. She can only laughed nervously.

"I-It's nothing that great..!" Yume waved her hands dismissively, her cheeks flushed pink. "I'm just a little better with monetary works since I work part-times..."

This time, Aomine gapes openly. "Woah..! Does that mean you have _lots_ of allowance? Maybe I should get one, too.. Kaa-chan's been giving me less..!" he grumbled.

Momoi wordlessly whacked the boy's head, again. "Don't you know it's rude to just ask like that, Dai-chan?" she asked menacingly, said boy flinched. "and Obaa-san is doing that because you ranked bottom 5th on the **whole** school year!"

Yume sweat dropped. Momoi sure got a unique way to express her love. "I-It's fine, Sat-chan. I don't mind." she smiled meekly. "..and, no, Aomine-kun. I don't have lots of allowance." Yume forced a smile. "My family, no, I am a little tight on the economy since my hometown is in Kyoto, not Tokyo."

'Aomine-kun..?' Aomine cringed. He doesn't really like the way he was addressed. It sounds... _disturbing_.

On the other hand, Momoi teared up. "I-I'm sorry for asking you buy things on our outings, Yuu-chan! I didn't know!" she cried, feeling guilty.

Aomine smirks, feeling like he won. He crossed his arms. "So _you're_ the bad one here, Satsuki."

"Mm-mm..." Yume shook her head. "It's okay, Sat-chan. I wanted to buy it, that's why I did." she smiled sincerely. "You don't have to feel bad about it."

Momoi is still crying, sniffing. "..Re..Really?" she asked mid tears. Yume nodded, giving the girl a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"So what part-time works do you do?" Aomine asked with curiosity. It could be a reference for him.

"Mm.. quite a variety." Yume answered, smiling slightly. "I have a part-time work as a clerk in a nearby convenience store. There's also the helping the bookstore near where I live. I have one at the florist and a small cafe, but I would have to resign.." she smiled wryly.

Aomine whistled. "That's a lot. You're quite _durable_ , aren't you?" he means that as a praise.

It's a weird word of praise, but Yume didn't take it to heart. "..Thank you, Aomine-kun." she stifled a laugh. '.. _durable_... That's actually funny..!'

Later on the day, the announcement was broadcasted as planned. The content itself isn't exactly unexpected, Yume did know how it works.

* * *

 **Teikō Junior High xxth Student Council**

 **Student Council President**

 **Akashi Seijūrō (1-A)**

 **Student Council Vice President**

 **Midorima Shintarō (1-A)**

 **Student Council Treasurer**

 **Manai Yume (1-B)**

 **Student Council Public Relations Committee**

 **Takeda Shirou (2-C)**

 **Student Council Secretary**

 **Kuga Miyuki (2-A)**

* * *

On the same day as the announcement, Yuki resigned from her part-time works at the florist and the cafe to make time for Student Council works. She intends to look for one more on weekends, although that could wait.

Yume walked home mentally exhausted. It's like so many things happened today. Oh, Momoi and Aomine congratulated Yume on the spot when the announcement was made. It make her tingles with happiness somehow.

The apartment Yume lived in is thankfully not very far from her school. She walked in and opened her mailbox, where some letters and brochures are placed.

Yume picked one letter and smiled at it. _'To: Manai Yume, From: Manai Ryūsuke and Manai Kyōko'._ It's from her grandparents back at Kyoto.

She glanced over all the papers, but finds none from other whom she also expected, or rather hoped to see. "..Still none.." Yume smiled wryly, sighing a bit.

The girl knows her name should have been for her to dream for the sky, but she doesn't want that.

Not the sky, but the ordinary ground where everyone she loves live is where she wants to stay. It's enough for her dreams to be on the earth.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	11. Chapter 10 - Fear the wolf in front and

I honestly thought it'll be long before I update. But since there're unexpectedly many comments and reads, ideas just sprang out of nowhere and here it is. In other words, this is all thanks to readers. Ah, and yeah. I should have mentioned the Treasurer last, but I kind of forgot. I'll double check next time~ And for those who have been asking MidoAkaYume, you will be happy to read this chapter. Tell me if you want more~! Enjoy~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 10 - Fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind**

For the few chosen students to enter the Student Council, lunch break is now 45 minutes long from 60 minutes.

The last 15 minutes are to be used for meetings and Student Council works at the Student Council office, and participation is **mandatory**.

Thinking back, Yume's first day at the Student Council _wasn't_ as worse as she had initially predicted.

The newly appointed President certainly packed quite a work, but he is surprisingly capable despite being a first year busied with hardcore after-school club activities like basketball.

Needless to say, Yume is starting to harbour a well-deserved respect for the boy. Akashi is obviously her age, but he handles numerous difficult documents as if he's breathing.

It's a breathtaking sight to see him works so accurately and neatly, at quite a speed, too. It's _amazing_. Everyone will agree on that.

If there's one thing _different_ Yume noticed due to her keen sense to pick up hidden emotions, it's that she somehow feels sad for him. Yume can't deny she sensed something familiar from him.

There's something about Akashi, that makes Yume's stomach turned and her heart beating in discomfort. His uncharacteristic yet fitting behaviour the day of the presentation for the Student Council election confirmed her suspicion even further.

Of course, being the girl she is, Yume wouldn't say. She doesn't wish to make more mess of her already messy school life. Also, it's not like Yume plans to get along with Akashi more than necessary.

"So, how's your first day at the Student Council, Yuu-chan? Good? Disastrous?" Momoi questioned in excitement, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "How's Akashi-kun? Midorin?"

Yume shifts in slight discomfort. The three are having lunch together on the rooftop, as per usual, although it's just the fourth day. "..It's... nice.." Yume replied vaguely.

"..Akashi-kun is amazing. He seems used to handling files and documents." Yume added with a smile. Then she sweat dropped. "..Midorima-kun…" it seems like she lost her words. "..he is... slightly picky?"

The superstitious greenhead nitpicks at almost everything, from the fonts, the space and everything on the documents. Although, Yume isn't sure if that's what he _really_ wants to talk about.

To Yume, it seems Midorima was just creating opportunities to converse more. Honestly though, everyone know it's not the way to go. If he keeps this up, Midorima might just find Kuga and Takeda with their backs on him soon.

"..He is a bit.. _weird_.." Yume concluded Midorima in one word. "Midorima-kun is not bad, o-of course..!" she added, seemingly afraid to offend the male.

As fellow clubmates, Momoi and Aomine knows exactly what Yume's talking about. The boy is not bad, certainly, but yes, _he_ is weird.

"Will you have another meeting after this, too, Yuu-chan?" Momoi asked as Yume nodded.

"It's 15 minutes towards the break's end, everyday." Yume answered. She smiled wryly. "I will have less time with you, Sat-chan. Sorry.."

Momoi huffed. "What are you talking about, Yuu-chan! There's no need to say sorry! If anything, I feel happy you finally made another social circle!" her eyes spoke her conviction.

Then Momoi deflated. "Although.. I honestly would like to spend more time with you, Yuu-chan.." she spoke from her tiny heart.

Aomine sighed. "She can't help it, you know, Satsuki. Manai is busy." He knows how Momoi always wishes for a girl friend, so he knows she is dejected despite feeling happy for the girl.

"Why not just come to watch us practice then? _It_ is after school." Aomine suggested.

It would have been a good idea, if not for her part-time works. Yume shook her head. "I can't, sorry. I have part-time works at the bookstores today."

Turning to her side, Yume can see how depressed Momoi is, which makes her feel bad. "..If it's tomorrow.. I probably can.."

In a split second, Yume finds her hands clasped in Momoi's with her gleaming peach orbs on her limegreen ones. "Really, Yuu-chan?! You will go watch the practice?" she repeated with vigour.

This brought a smile to Yume's face. Her expression softens as she gazed at her bestfriend. "Mm. I will."

The delightful Momoi flung herself at Yume, almost toppling the latter. Momoi hugs her bestfriend. "I'm happy, blissful and blessed to have a friend like you, Yuu-chan! I'm really happy!"

Yume hugs the girl back, covering her euphoric smile with Momoi's shoulder. "..I'm happy, too, Sat-chan.. for being your friend.."

The girl-girl scene is a little to no interest for the tanned male who watched it through one-eye. Although, it's noted that his lips quirked into a smile.

Momoi, is for the better or worse, is still Aomine's childhood friend he grew up with. She is nosy and all, but she is an _irreplaceable_ existence for Aomine Daiki.

* * *

Our heroine is currently sitting at the Student Council office, the agreed meeting time is still 5 minutes away, but she decided to come early to do some reading on the report Akashi had compiled the day before.

It's about the allotted budgets on some of the clubs, and the claimed deficits. Akashi had told Yume to read it over and tell him if the budget one of the clubs asked for is plausible, and to report it to him.

Frankly, it's clear to Yume that Akashi _had_ deemed it as untrue, that the club didn't need such high budget. It's also clear to her, that Akashi is testing her worths.

What a leader is supposed to do when working with new colleagues, is to know their capabilities. It's what exactly Akashi is doing.

He wants her opinion, her insights and **not** his, since matters concerning monetary is _her_ responsibility.

Yume understood that, and that's why he will hear no complain from her. She had compiled the club's spendings for the previous year, and found some _unnecessary_ purchases.

Also, it seems their achievements isn't exactly praiseworthy. Although, Yume won't raise that fact against them. It seems cruel to her, using their achievements to decline their budget proposal.

She will just point out their unnecessary purchases and how the school isn't responsible for it. Maybe even tell them how to 'bargain', since it seems as if they are paying full prices _even_ for mass purchases.

The door slides open, and the stoic greenhead Vice President came in. His gaze landed on the lone person in the room.

"Good afternoon, Midorima-kun." Yume greeted with a courteous smile.

Midorima acknowledged her greeting with his own curt nod, then he noticed the papers in Yume's hands. "Are those the ones Akashi gave you yesterday?"

"Yes." Yume confirmed with a nod. "I wish to have another look."

The boy only nodded before making his way to his desk, which is the desk diagonal to Yume.

The desks on the Student Council are positioned facing each other except for the President's desk, which is facing front and the others' desk.

Yume's Treasurer desk is in the innermost of the room, on the right side, facing Takeda's Public Relations Committee desk, and next to her is Kuga's Secretary desk, which is facing Midorima's Vice President desk.

For reasons unknown, Yume's been subjected to mental tortures in the form of Midorima's continuous staring on her these past few seconds.

Yume stiffen at the intent attention. 'Why is Midorima-kun staring at me when I'm just reading..?' she cringed inwardly. Now the words can't even enter her mind.

Thankfully, another person enters the room then, earning Midorima's attention and eliciting a relieved sigh from Yume.

"Am I disturbing something?" Akashi's soft yet sharp voice chimed as he walked in.

"I-It's nothing, Akashi-kun..!" Yume denied almost immediately, waving her hand frantically.

Akashi smirks. Why he likes teasing the girl, he has yet to discover. He can't deny that there's this _odd_ attraction for the girl who doesn't just fear him.

Manai Yume has a **different** emotion towards him other then fear. It's nowhere near affections or the likes, and he is curious as to what exactly.

As Akashi walked to his desk, he posed his question at Yume. "Has you done the work I assigned you, Manai-san?"

"Y-Yes, A-Akashi-kun..!" Yume squeaked her answer. She really need to get used to Akashi how he always makes her panic. "..I just need to type the written report.."

Akashi chuckles in amusement. "That's quick. Why don't you come here and tell me of your findings now? Manai-san?" he questioned, he pronounced her name in an amused tone.

If she can get anymore nervous than she is now, Yume would like to see what else it could be. She shifts in her feet before she stands up from her seat, and hesitantly makes her way to Akashi's desk.

Akashi is smiling as he leans on his seat, his arms crossed on his chest. It somehow unnerves Yume even more. Not to mention she can feel Midorima's hard stare at her back.

Nervous is surely an understatement for Yume is downright _terrified_ and she had a hunch that these two boys are enjoying it.

Yume finally opened her mouth to speak, although for a while, only inaudible mutters come out of it. _"...th... ...un-... n't... ..."_

Yume bit her lips. This is **not** how she is supposed to act. Akashi is expecting her to prove her worth, and Midorima is assessing her abilities.

'..I _can't_ behave cowardly and shakes in my shoes!' Her resolve shined through.

Yume lifts her head, and her soft limegreen eyes harden. This elicits a smirk from Akashi, and Midorima can feel his brows twitched.

"The Choir's proposed budget is unreasonable, and unnecessary purchases where school can't be held liable for has been made continuously after the appointment of the new Club President."

"As the Treasurer, I declare their demands **invalid**." Yume finished.

This time, her voice is loud and clear, with firm conviction lacing her words. Her gaze is straight and unwavering as it locked with amused crimson-ruby.

Inside, Yume can feel her heart thumping at alarming rate. She is dead nervous, which let her understands the smirk tugging on Akashi's lips.

Fortunately, it seems Midorima has pitied her and ceased his stares, because she can no longer feel that piercing, assessing stares.

After what feels like a while, Akashi chuckles. He leans forward, his elbows resting on his desk. "I commend you on your insights, Manai-san. I will be eagerly awaiting your report."

The tormented girl's rigid posture _finally_ relaxed. She is now mentally at peace, having done with what she sets out to do.

On the side note, to her initial expectation, it seems Yume will really die on her feet, and Akashi be the death of hers.

"..I understand, Akashi-kun." Yume wheezed weakly, unlike her confident tone before. She trudged back to her seat, and start typing her report.

All the while seemingly unaware to the _satisfied_ looks sent her way. In fact, Yume can no longer notice any meaningful stares on her as her mind blanked out for anything other then her report and completing it quickly, flawlessly, and mistake-free.

Kuga and Takeda came not long after, distinguishing whatever remaining tensions before they had came in.

* * *

Books fill the bookshelves where Yume has her part-time works in. Apparently, there're some new arrivals, so Yume needs to rearrange some of the books so the new one can fit in.

"For a young 'un, you sure work hard, Yume-chan." A man in his late thirties sighed from the counter, he is the owner of the bookstore.

The girl turns and smiles slightly at her employer. "Thank you, Kawahara-san. But I'm only doing what I have to."

Kawahara sighs even more. Why can't his son be even _remotely_ similar to Yume? His daughter even pales in comparison to the girl, he even recalls there's this male model enamoured by his teenage daughter.

"Oh, right, Yume-chan? There's this popular teen model around your age. He just started, but he's been getting lots of attention for his looks." Kawahara explained. He doubts the girl would know, though. The books she borrowed (he let her) are mostly educational; no magazines. "Do you know him?"

The answer, is as expected, **negative**. "Huh? No, not really." Yume replied. She wasn't really paying attention as she sorted the books. It's clear Yume doesn't really care for fashions and stuffs.

Kawahara shrugs. He expects this response from the girl. She should really show more interest in boys. "I'll be going to the storage for a while. I need to check the stock for Zunon Boy mags. It sold out fast."

Yuki nodded mindlessly as Kawahara exited the counter. He halted. "Oh, and move these empty boxes outside. We won't need them." he pointed to the boxes lying next to the counter.

Yume nodded again. "I understand, Kawahara-san."

With that, Yume is left alone on the store. After she finished sorting the books, Yume turned her attention to the boxes.

"Carry these outside, eh?" Yume muttered. She tried lifting them, and since it's empty like her employer said, it's light.

Yume decided to stack the boxes together since it would take less time to finish. She has _extra_ revisions to do if she wants to go to tomorrow 's practice.

It won't be effective since Yume would usually review the lessons of the day, but it will help if she studies the new materials _before_ the actual classes.

Yume lifts 3 boxes of them, neatly stacked together. "It's light.." she noted as she made her way to the automatic door.

To her surprise, the door opened when Yume is not close enough for the sensor to went off.

But the sensor isn't wrong. Because someone else entered when Yume was about to exit, and with the boxes effectively blocking her vision, Yume bumped into said person.

"Ow.." Yume landed on her butt, wincing slightly. Moreover, the boxes landed on her, and the person she bumped into.

Yume paled. After her experiences in part-time works, the saying Customer is King, really shows in her paychecks.

She knows she is in trouble for screwing up. Although her employer is not here, he is bound to run in after hearing the thudding noises from the falling boxes.

The one Yume bumped into turned out to be a boy, and he kindly offered his hand. "Are you okay?"

Yume looked up in surprise, she expected the boy to yelled at her for her careless mistake. Although, she's in for another surprise when limegreen clashed with _unexpected_ bright, golden-yellow.

 _"Eh?"_ The boy let out a gasp of recognition. He recalled that he had met her on Teikō before, the girl that had dropped her thing and the girl that crashed into his karaoke time.

He pulled Yume back to her feet and Yume recognised the boy she also bumped before, and the one time they met at the karaoke box when she was with Momoi. Her face flushed scarlet at her remembrance.

"We might be fated to meet, with you always bumping into me." The boy scratched his cheek as he joked.

In her panic, Yume didn't process it as a joke. She bowed immediately. "I'm sorry. I _didn't_ see you, honest."

Seeing how frantic she was, the boy waved his hands furiously. "I-I was just joking..! It's really okay."

"What happened?" Kawahara decided to make his appearance then. He initially thought Yume just dropped the boxes somehow, but since he heard some noises in the store, he got curious and decided to look.

Yume raised her head and looked at her employer, who was glancing at the scattered boxes. "..I bumped into our customer when I was carrying those boxes.."

"It's fine! I wasn't looking as well! I was looking at my cellphone while I walked, it's part my fault." The boy repeated, explaining further at the older male.

Yume blinked in confusion. From what she remembered, the boy **wasn't** even holding a cellphone when he bumped into her.

'Was he lying..? Why..?' Yume wondered mentally, giving confused glances at the blond haired boy.

Kawahara heaved a sigh of relief. If the customer is partly at fault, and isn't offended, there really is nothing here. "It's okay then. I apologise for my employee's mistake."

He turned to Yume. "You can tidy the boxes. I will be at the back." Kawahara spoke before he left.

When her employer is out of sight, Yume decided to ask the question that's been plaguing her mind. "..Were you really looking at your cellphone then?"

The male chuckles nervously. Yume takes that as he didn't. "..Why did you lie?" she asked again.

He simply smiles. "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble."

Yume find herself blinking more. She is inwardly wondering why, when they didn't even know each other.

She crouched wordlessly to pick up the boxes. Only to find the boy doing the same at her back. He is helping her.

Somehow, Yume had lost the will to ask why. She feels that the boy won't be answering her seriously.

"Can I ask for your name?" He asked quite suddenly. "I-I just thought it'd be nice if I can greet you with your name whenever we meet..! ..since we're both Teikō students.."

The whole time, Yume was quiet, taking in his suggestions. While she doesn't like giving her names at random strangers, the boy did help her _twice_ , even after she bumped into him.

"...Manai Yume.." Yume muttered.

The boy is slightly taken aback. He didn't actually expect Yume to tell her name when he hadn't yet. He smiles to himself.

"My name is Kise Ryōta." He turned at Yume, smiling at her back. "It's nice to meet you, Manai-chan."

Yume turned after hearing her name called, meeting the boy's gaze. "...It's nice to meet you, too, Kise-kun.."

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	12. Chapter 11 - Unless an idiot dies, he

I should have done Rainbow Drops, but since I kind of ran out of ideas for that one, I do this story instead. But yeah, I will go back to Rainbow Drops after this.. Anyway, this chapter is more interactions of MomoAoYume, with the addition of the other Generation of Miracles. Tell me if you have special requests for the next chap~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Unless an idiot dies, he won't be cured**

The clear blues skies. Vivid fragrance of cherry blossoms. Refreshing paltry spring breeze. It should have been a _nice_ season for school.

Manai Yume used to naively believe that notion. Her middle-school life would be calm and peaceful with no disturbances, with a friend, if she's lucky.

 **However.**

With the way things are now, those are merely far-fetched illusions. Forced into Student Council selection, dragged into Fate-orchestrated meetings with troublesome students, and... hopefully it ends there.

No one can blame that _loooooong_ exasperated sigh slipping out from Yume's lips.

"Is something wrong, Yuu-chan? You've been kinda down since this morning.." Momoi worriedly noted, her expression held a concern for her friend.

Ever as insensitive, even Aomine is eyeing Yume's slumped shoulders. While it hasn't been long since they know each other, he still feels worried somehow. The girl actually looks frailer than Momoi! Not to mention Yume looks like the type to get bullied!

"Hm-mm.." Yume shook her head as she smiled wryly. "It's nothing big." she reassured, only to continue after seeing Momoi's peach orbs brimming with worries. "...It's just... that I've been thinking about my initial plans on my school life..."

Well, Momoi is interested. She sprang up in excitement. "Really? What kind of plans, Yuu-chan? Make friends? Entering the Student Council? Prevail in studies? Or entering Clubs?"

Yume sweat dropped. Other then the first one and the third, the rest is all wrong. "..Friends and studies, I guess..." she forced a smile.

"Yeahh!" Momoi leaped at Yume joyfully. "We are just the best of friend!"

Meanwhile, her childhood friend slurped his carton juice anticlimactically, completely uninterested.

"So, are you going to the practice today, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned, her peach orbs fixed on Yume's.

This put an amused smile on the latter's face. "Mm. I promised, didn't I?" she confirmed.

"Whee!" Momoi squealed loudly, hugging the air off Yume. " I'm so happy!"

"E-Erk...! S-Sat-chan..! A-Air..!" Yume gasped inaudibly.

Our heroine would have been dead if not for Aomine who was there as he noticed Yume's pale (blue actually) complexion from the lack of oxygen, he had to **forcefully** separate the two girls.

"Uh..." Momoi played wit her fingers awkwardly. Her eyes casted downwards. "...I'm sorry, Yuu-chan.."

Thank her big heart, Yume let it slip. On a side note, it's preferable for Yume to learn some sort of defense mechanism if she is to deal with Momoi frequently, to ensure her life.

"I'm fine, Sat-chan.." Yume smiled, slightly forced. "..Although, I'm not sure if I could be of any help. I don't even understand basketball.."

Momoi smiles automatically, her bubbly demeanour returned in full-blast. "It's o–"

"You don't even understand basketball, Manai?!" Aomine cut in loudly as he sprang up. "That's just plain boring!" He smirked triumphantly, looking down on the girl. "Let this Aomine Daiki-sama teaches you about basketball."

Yume could only sweat drop. 'What a complete 180 degrees change...' Whenever it involves basketball the boy's eyes would sparkle and his whole soul seems to shine with brilliance.

Momoi seems like she is having a hard time restraining herself from having physical-contact with the tanned male. Her smile looks forced. "Dai-chan is a basket-baka. Just ignore him, Yuu-chan."

Ignorant to this all, Aomine continues with his rant. "How can you not know basketball? It's the greatest fun on Earth! You've been missing your life!"

A well-deserved hard whack in the head is performed by none other then Momoi as Aomine winced in pain. "Well, _**you**_ have been missing your life with your **horrible** knowledges!" she hissed, referring to his detestable grades.

"At the very least, Yuu-chan will survive if she's thrown into the society." Momoi huffed, defending the sweat dropping Yume. Then she turned to Aomine with an assessing look. "..Meanwhile, Dai-chan would only survive if you're thrown into a jungle instead."

The boy snarled that at, feeling offended. "What?! Does that mean I'm an animal of some sort?!"

"Hmph." Momoi turned her head at that, pouting as she ignored her childhood friend.

"Grrrr...!" Aomine grumbled, restraining his fury as his fingers twitched.

Surprisingly, Yume let out a laugh. It's so unexpected that the two childhoodfriend-pair are stunned.

"..Pft-! Hahaha.. N-No, I-I mean.." Yume tried to stifle her laughs as she tried to speak in between her laughters. "I apologise. It's just, the two of you are so amusing that I.. pft-!" she continued to laugh quietly.

"How can it be amusing, Yuu-chan!" Momoi pursed her lips even more. She doesn't find it funny at all! She pointed an accusing finger at the only male around. "It's frustrating having a childhood friend like _**this**_ _**thing**_!"

Nevertheless, Aomine didn't take it too well. "... _ **This thing**_..?" he echoed menacingly. "Who did **you** just say as _**this thing**_ , hah, Satsuki?!" He exploded in rage.

As the two bickers, Yume laughs even more. She can't help but find the two of them entertaining her once monotone life. At the very least, even when her school life doesn't go as planned, she has friends like them that will brighten up her days.

After Yume's light-hearted laughters, Aomine and Momoi finally stopped bickering awkwardly before they smile and grin.

'..It's strange..' Yume mused thoughtfully as she laughed. She used to hate all those shoutings and being near them. But today, what's exchanged between Momoi and Aomine is not that of hate or condemn, but of care and concern.

In that way, it somehow _relieves_ her. Yume used to know only one kind of shouting, where it's filled with animosity. Entering Teikō and befriending the two childhoodfriend-pair changes that.

For that short moment, it feels like all the barriers were lifted, and the three teenagers are just a group of good friends chatting and goofing off with one another.

* * *

"Manai-san."

"Y-Yes..!" Yume squeaked in surprise, flinching in her feet. She slowly turned to face her caller. "Akashi-kun.."

The Student Council President smiles in amusement as he watched the only student in the room. The other members are currently out consulting teachers and some clubs.

Yume is sorting some folders into the shelf after looking through the past year's budget, it's sorted nicely, so the previous Treasurer must be good at his or her job.

The smile on his face fell as Akashi is back on his business expression. His tone cold and piercing. "I advise you to keep your distance from **Miyazawa Ayumi**."

With the seriousness in his tone, Yume clearly can't ignore Akashi's statement. 'But... Miyazawa Ayumi..?' That name feels familiar.

A flash of remembrance passed her mind as Yume recalled the budget proposal the day before. Miyazawa Ayumi is the newly appointed President of the Choir's Club.

"..Does this involves the budget proposal I rejected?" Yume found herself asking with curiosity.

The redhead took a moment of strained silence before smiling. "I heard you're going to watch the basketball club's practice today."

Yume stiffen. Akashi just changed the topic, meaning he won't elaborate further on the case of Miyazawa Ayumi. 'Moreover... How _did_ he know that?' she almost shrieked inwardly.

Contrary to her internal strive, Yume only nods meekly in the presence of Akashi. "Mm.. Sat-ch, I mean, Momoi-san invited me.."

Akashi only hums in response. He doesn't seem to be interested. "Is that so."

Yume nodded again. After deciding the redhead had stopped with his interrogation, she went back to her work. Although, the same can't be said for her mind, which keep on wandering back to their earlier conversation.

'Why Miyazawa Ayumi?'

* * *

"Let's go, Yuu-chan!" Momoi excitedly pulled Yume by her wrist as soon as the bell rang, only giving enough time to make sure their bags are in hand.

This time, the brunette didn't resist and just goes along with Momoi's frantic pull. She can't even help smiling at how enthusiastic her bestfriend is being.

After turning a few corners, the First String Gym for the Basketball Club is finally in sight.

"We're here!" Momoi remarked in joy. She somehow feels the need to declare their arrival.

As the two walked into the open gym, Momoi halted and turned on her feet, facing Yume with a huge grin on her face. "Welcome to the First String Gym, Yuu-chan!"

The girl's voice is loud and it echoes across the room, gaining **immediate** attention from the occupants, to Yume's dismay. Fortunately, there're not that many people, the players are not in.

"I'm sooory..!" Momoi apologised with her hands clasped together, her eyes closed as she faced the ground. The two are currently sitting on the bench in the gym after that mortifying incident. "I was just too excited.."

Yume waved her hands dismissively. "It's okay, Sat-chan.." She doesn't want to attract more unwanted attention. Then she glanced around. "..So what will I do?"

Momoi lifts her head on that, her cheery smile back on her face. "Ah, the boys are currently running laps outside, then they'll play a mini game. Which should be soon." she turned to the door.

As if on cue, the boys came littering in with sweats as they jogged inside while few walked. Yume flinched at the number of people.

"Hmm?" Momoi muttered with confusion as she rummaged her schoolbag, looking for something. "It's not here! I must have left it on my desk..!"

"What is?" Yume asked the frustrated Momoi.

The Club's manager then turned to Yume frantically. "Yuu-chan!" she began, taking Yume's hands in hers. "I left my notes in the classroom, so please wait a while!" she spoke quickly before turning to her left side where towels are piled and water-bottles are arranged neatly. "If the boys need towel or water-bottle, just **toss** them."

Of course not. "Sat-chan, I-"

 **Too late.** Momoi had already ran out of the gym. "Thank you, Yuu-chan!" was her last echoing words as her figure disappeared. When the girl got an idea, it's likely she won't stop.

Yume sighed. Why did she agree to this again?

"Oh, yo! Manai!" Aomine called as he approached Yume. He was covered with sweats. "Where's Satsuki going?"

"Aomine-kun." Yume acknowledged the boy. "She left something on the classroom, so she ran back for it."

Aomine doesn't look impressed. "Hee.. And _she_ said I'm forgetful." He shrugged before extending his hand forward, as if asking for something.

Yume blinks in response, not understanding the sudden gesture.

Aomine frowned. "The water bottle."

Ah. Yume took one from her side and smiled as she stood up and handed him one.

Aomine grasped the bottle and glugged it down. He then held the nearly empty bottle in his hand. "You could just toss it, you know." he spoke. "No need to stand up and hand it personally."

"..Is that so.. I thought it wouldn't be polite to toss something.." Yume smiled sheepishly.

Well, the tanned male is not one for manners. He does have a good reason for this one, though. "It'll take too much time if you hand them one by one."

Yume blinks before smiling and nods. "Yeah.. That makes sense." _Practicability over sensibility, eh?_

Aomine then broke into a full-grin. "Watch me play, Manai. I will amaze you like no other."

The sudden declaration makes Yume shifts awkwardly on her feet. "..I don't know basketball, Aomine-kun.." she reminded weakly.

"It's fine, it's fine." He waved his hand repeatedly. Then his face contorted in slight distaste. "And stop calling me 'Aomine-kun'. Just call me Daiki. We are friends after all."

As the reserved girl she is, Yume obviously hesitates at his request. Aomine is not easily convinced. "I'm kind of grossed out by 'Aomine-kun', so please." he repeated.

With that said, Yume meekly complied with a slight nod. "...Then.. Daiki-kun.."

Aomine grins widely at that. He prefers his name wayyyyy then 'Aomine-kun'. Formality just doesn't sit well with him. Besides, don't friends address each other comfortably?

"...You can call me Yume.." After all, it's only fair if the boy is allowed the same. Although, Yume does hesitate.

The tanned male blinks in surprise before he grins once more. "Then! As our sign of friendship, I'll teach you basketball!" he exclaimed with joy.

Causing Yume to sweat drop. It's always basketball for him in the end. "That's fine, you don't have to." she refused with a wave of her hand.

"If you are friends with Momoi and this **baka** , it's only a matter of time before you learned basketball. Manai." A spiteful voice joined in as a greenhead came into full view.

"What did you mean by **baka** , _baka_?" Aomine retorted, looking annoyed as he returned the insult.

Midorima adjusted his glasses, unfazed. "Your statement is unfounded as your academic rank is way below mine, Aomine. That makes you the **baka**." he replied calmly with snide.

Aomine growled. The two continued with Aomine's heated response to Midorima's quiet but hurtful remarks as Yume stood by the sidelines, not knowing what to say.

"Ah, Cashier-chin~ Bring any sweets?" A familiar voice spoke as shadow loomed over Yume's head.

Yume looked up in slight alarm, only calming down when she spotted the unforgettable purple locks. "Ah.. from the convenience store.." she noted. _What's his name again?_ Yume shook her head. "No, sorry."

The gigantic purplehead hummed with visible dejection. "Bring some next time, Cashier-chin. Oh, and it's Murasakibara Atsushi." he munched on his potato chips.

 _What's with these weird colourful heads?_ Is she expected for a regular visit now? Yume sweat dropped. "O-Oh, my name is Manai Yume. It's nice to meet you, Murasakibara-kun.." she almost bit her tongue at the inexplicably long name.

Before Murasakibara could respond, Yume find herself on the receiving end of Aomine's finger. "Then Yume **will** beat you!" he declared loudly.

 _... "Hai..?"_ Yume muttered with utter confusion. What just happened?

"Hmph." Midorima scoffed, unimpressed. "You are supposed to beat me with your scores, Aomine. Not Manai." he pushed his rimmed glasses to the bridge of his nose.

"Yume is my friend!" Aomine rebutted, not backing down. His finger still pointed to Yume. "So she will do it for me!" he turned to Yume as she jerked. "Right?!"

Eh? What? Why is she suddenly dragged into this? Yume can't even respond but blinking repeatedly.

"To prove that you are the idiot one, Yume will beat your scores in the next exam!" Aomine continued with a smirk.

At the absurd statement, Yume finally found her voice. "Err.. Why me, Daiki-kun?"

The boy huffed indignantly. "I'm freaking **5th** **last** from the whole school year! How can I beat Midorima?" he raised his brow, stating the obvious. "That's why the duty fell to you."

Yume fails to process his logic, and the best she can do is put her most incredulous expression at Aomine's stupidity.

"Good luck, Cashier-chin." Murasakibara patted Yume's shoulder as he bit on his chips.

Aomine grins as he lifts his thumb up. He doesn't look guilty even a bit. _Or_ ashamed.

While Midorima adjusts his spectacle like always. "I will not lose, Manai."

'...How did it end up like this again..?' Yume quietly muttered internally. Why does she always manages to get herself in trouble? Mostly with these colourful boys?

"Yuu-chan!" Momoi ran into the scenes, oblivious to the atmosphere. Waving a note in her hand. She stopped abruptly before Yume, handing her the note. "Here~!"

At the sudden interference, Yume blinks as she looked at the note in her hand. "What is this, Sat-chan?" she asked in confusion.

The pinkette smiles brightly. "It's a self-made notes regarding basketball!" she chirped happily. "With this, Yuu-chan will know almost everything there is to know about basketball!"

With the unexpectedly thoughtful gift, Yume's eyes widen is surprise. "..Did you... make it for me..?" she asked quietly, as if she can't believe it.

"Mm!" Momoi smiled, nodding confidently. Some people said that she is overbearing, but Momoi likes Yume enough to believe the girl doesn't think so.

To her belief, Yume smiles gratefully before hugging Momoi. Her first time initiating the hug. "Thank you, Sat-chan..! Thank you.."

Momoi blinks in slight astonishment before returning the hug with a cheery smile. "Mm! Of course, Yuu-chan!"

As the two girls embrace each other like a sloppy soap-opera, the boys shift awkwardly, namely Aomine and Midorima. Murasakibara just continued eating his chips in relaxed manners.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	13. Chapter 12 - To gamble as the dice fall

Good news~! I will be focusing on this story for the next two weeks, which means there's likely to be more updates than usual. And thanks for the reviews and interests on this story, it certainly gives me inspirations~! To thank you all, this chapter is slightly longer than usual, and I'll be replying to some reviews down here.

 _ **To Guest:**_ You know, that's a good idea you're suggesting - Midorima winning the bet. I did think about it, but then again, Yume has a reliable ally on her side, doesn't she? I don't think she will lose that easy. There's someone Midorima turned to, so he can hope to defeat Akashi - also, the one Aomine relies on for passing grades. Okay, that's too much hints~

 _ **To chibi-no-baka:**_ A strange talent or realistic ability, eh? Not sure about it being strange, perhaps more of realistic? I did say that Yume is keen on picking up emotions and people's personalities, didn't I? It has something to do with that, and that will be shown in, I'm not sure which chapter. Hha, but it definitely will.

 _ **To**_ _ **Jounouchi123:**_ First of all, thanks a lot~! I'm thanking everyone here, too. So yeah, her past.. Since it's where part of the story will revolve, I don't think I can say it here. If it's any inklings, there's certainly a relation with her ability as described above. There's reason why Yume is sensitive to emotions more than average people.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - To gamble as the dice fall**

Numerous pairs of eyes are directed to the two teenage girls who are still in a lovey-dovey scene. The sight somehow made the boys squirmed in slight discomfort.

"Hm? Isn't this a new face here?"

Momoi and Yume finally let go to turn at the voice. A male with a raven-jet hair is walking closer, next to him is a familiar redhead.

"Captain." Midorima inclined his head to show his respect.

Aomine grinned, his hand up in the air. "Yo, Cap'!"

Murasakibara only nods while he keeps on munching his treats on hands.

"Oh, senpai~!" Momoi addressed the ravenette differently, smiling amiably.

From the brief greetings her fellow first years have spoken, Yume can conclude that the unknown male before her is likely the Captain of the team, and a year or two years older than she is.

Oh, and she should introduce herself now. Yume bowed, intending to speak for herself when someone else already did.

Akashi chuckles. "Nijimura-san, this is Manai Yume. The Student Council's Treasurer."

Yume wisely refrained her brows from twitching. She could have said it herself, but she cherishes her life enough not to say.

"Ohh..! Then this is _the_ _girl_ who's working with Akashi and Midorima!" Nijimura noted with glee. "It's nice to finally meet you, Manai! I'm a Second year, Nijimura Shūzō." he lifts his palm.

Hearing this, Yume lifts her head and nods with a tiny smile. "It's nice to meet you, too, senpai."

Nijimura blinks, slightly bewildered. "You're a polite one, aren't you?" he noted offhandedly. Then he sighed as he rubbed his temple. "..It must be hard on you, Manai..."

Midorima twitched. Akashi smiled. Yume sweat dropped, her lips tightly sealed. In reality, working with **two** eccentrics are really hard, and as one with experiences, Nijimura knows it very well.

The Second year male then grins. "Are you good friends with my kōhais, Manai?" he asked in a curious tone.

The brunette shifts on her feet, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the question. Yume nods meekly. "Uh... Sat-chan and D-Daiki-kun..." she stammered Aomine's name, still not used to the sudden change.

This brought a smile to Nijimura's face. "Hoh.. Sat-chan and Daiki-kun, eh?" he echoed, amused.

The other three boys not mentioned seems to not mind Yume's confession. It is a fact that they don't really know each other well.

"First time watching the basketball practice?" Nijimura continued, giving Yume his full attention and the girl nodded.

Nijimura smiles. Then he sighed. "My kōhais are a _little_ bit problematic.." he trailed off, then he smirked proudly. "..but they are quite a sight to see when they play basketball." The freshmen showed their pleasant expressions at their Captain's praise. "You won't be disappointed, Manai." he finished with a grin.

From the rumours surrounding the boys that made the team at their first tryout in Teikō's nationally powerful team, it seems Yume has to agree with Nijimura's statement - they **must** be a spectacle.

"I understand, senpai." Yume smiled as she nodded. She will see for herself exactly how amazing these problematic (and troublesome) boys are on court. Even when she doesn't know basketball beyond shooting basket to the hoop.

Nijimura returned the smile, before his expression changed to one of authority. "Gather up! We are playing a game!" he cried loudly, befitting a Captain. It's no wonder the members looked up to him and scrambled to his feet the moment he called.

The guy might not looked scary or even brimming with charisma like Akashi, but he definitely possesses some qualities of a leader. Then again, it's to be expected from the person chosen as Teikō's Basketball Club's Captain. Yume recalled that the budgets allotted to the club are properly used and rightfully proportioned that there's almost nothing to nitpick.

This Basketball Club must be in good hands. Whether it's the Captain, Vice Captain, Coaches, Treasures, Managers, all. '...Wait a minute... Isn't Akashi-kun _the_ Vice Captain?' she paused in realisation. The redhead really is capable, eh?

"Let's sit at the bench, Yuu-chan! We can't get in their way." Momoi spoke as she pulled Yume outside the court. Although, before they managed to get too far, someone took hold of Yume's free arm, surprising her.

"Midorin? What's the matter?" Momoi asked in bewilderment instead of Yume who was just blinking in confusion.

Midorima himself is flustered at his bold action and quickly let go as he adjusted his glasses with his other hand. "..I had something to ask of you, Manai." he finally spoke, awkwardly to note.

Having known the taciturn boy for a while now, Momoi took the clue almost immediately. "Ah, then I'll go first. Be quick, Yuu-chan~!" she sing-sang with a playful wink at Yume, who is oblivious as she left the two alone.

Sometimes, or maybe _most_ of the time, Yume can't understand what goes through her bestfriend's head. "Can I help you with anything, Midorima-kun?" she asked politely despite the awkward situation they were in.

With how the greenhead cautiously glanced left and right, Yume thought that it must be something very important. So imagine her reaction when the boy spoke of his superstitious interest.

"The truth is, my Oha Asa lucky item for the day is a Lollipop. With Murasakibara around the gym, I can't be calm having it visible." He adjusted his glasses. Midorima actually looked anxious. "His appetite for sweets is simple uncontrollable. Thus I have no other choice but to hide it in my bag."

Needless to say, Yume fails to see the purpose of this conversation. She can't think what the boy could possibly want from her. From the convenience store's meeting though, Yume has known of the giant's monstrous intake and the boy's before her is widely known for his eccentricity.

Midorima's glasses seemed to reflect the light in the gym as it gleamed, giving off a know-it-all effect. "However, by doing so, the item's effectiveness might have dropped by quite a bit. And I can't have that." He stated with all seriousness. "Which is why, Manai. I want you to find the Lollipop, and keep it safe with you and also within **5** **metres** my radius. That's my request."

This is _ridiculous_. As if she can say that, although she very much wants to. By now, Yume can't help but think that her fortunate meeting with Momoi eventually brings along couples of troublesome boys she never wants to be associated with.

"..I understand, Midorima-kun." Yume forced a smile as she replied. If she really had to, she might as well get it done and finished with it soon. "Where is your bag placed?" she asked again, trying hard to sound as sincere as possible.

As one would expect, Midorima seems to be satisfied with Yume's answer. He looks more relaxed than he was before as he adjusted his glasses once more. "I put it below the bench Momoi is sitting on." Since he can't hold it, Midorima decided to put it where it's close, which is why it was there instead of in the locker room.

A peek towards Momoi's direction confirmed Midorima's claim. Good thing his request doesn't seem to be too troublesome. "I owe you one, Manai." Midorima spoke as his fingers rested on his glasses, blocking Yume's entrance to his gleaming emerald orbs.

Yume smiles for real this time, mostly from amusement. "It's okay, Midorima-kun." she inclined her head curtly before she made her exit. "I'll be going now." The boy nodded as he watched her turned her back on him before walking off his path.

When Yume returned to the bench and crouched down for the bag under, Momoi quickly followed her friend's sudden action. "What, what? What is it? What did Midorin say?" she asked continuously, obviously interested. Momoi watched as Yume rummaged through the bag, and pulled out a... Lollipop?

"What's that, Yuu-chan? Whose is it?" She asked again, her gaze transfixed on the red and white swirls of sweet. A light bulb flashed just then. "Is this Midorin's lucky item?" she blinked as she looked at Yume in the eyes for confirmation.

Is it that obvious, or is Momoi just good with guesses? Perhaps a little of both. "Mm." Yume smiled meekly as she nodded. "Midorima-kun asked me to hold it and keep it within 5 metres his radius." she informed honestly.

Of course it **isn't** anything romantic, coming from the Tsundere. Momoi sighed in disappointment. "Well, I guess with Mukkun around he can't carelessly put it on the bench." she nodded with agreement. There's nothing else the giant loves more than sweets.

"Ahaha.." Yume laughed dryly. It seems nothing good will really come out from interacting with these colourful bunches.

At the very least, she has the sense to hold on her promise and obediently gripped the sweet treat so it's visible and still within acceptable range from the greenhead shooter no matter how ridiculous it all seems to her.

To his credits, Midorima performs exceptionally well. Even Yume could understand that the continuous shots he made from the three-point line are precious and clearly worths more from regular shots. And like Nijimura and the rumours said, Akashi, Aomine, and Murasakibara are also amazing in their own right.

Even on court, Akashi looks as calculating and calm as he is behind the desk. What's different is the little sparkles on his ruby orbs that tells Yume how he definitely enjoys the sports. She can't help but feel relieved somehow. _Why?_ Because the seemingly unapproachable boy has something he enjoys doing.

Like Momoi's favourite catchphrase for her childhood friend, Aomine really is a basket-baka. The way he grins, filled with joys as he made his way to the opposite hoop and shot the ball in. He looks the happiest out there, and his soul is practically brimming with excitements. It makes Yume happy, like the first time she saw him on the day of the tryout.

As for the giant... He is just formidable. One thing that had Yume doubted his ethnicity is definitely that overwhelming height that towers over even his seniors. Murasakibara doesn't look excited with his half-lidded eyes and unenthusiastic expression. His movements are sluggish when compared to the other players. Although, Yume doubts if someone like him would actually stand on court like he did if he doesn't even enjoy it a tiny bit.

Let's not forget the Captain, Nijimura. Like the other four freshmen, he too, shines on the court as he is also a spectacle to behold. His nimble movements and and the way he led his team to victory with quite a huge gap... One thing Yume can say, is that he absolutely deserves his position.

Today's Momoi indubitably impresses. The usual ditzy and bubbly bestfriend she knows that charges like a bull and pulls like a horse looks like a different person on the side of the court. Her peach orbs are stern as she observed the game and jolted down what she deems important. Yume probably never respects the girl more than she did today.

Basketball is never her interest, and probably never will. But with today's game, maybe Yume will learn a thing or two about the sport with Momoi's notes, if only to appreciate her efforts. Besides, there's no loss in knowing more about what's under the sun, right?

* * *

"Uwaahh! One more day of practice has ended~!" Momoi stretched her hands up in the air, enjoying her freedom. She quickly turned to the brunette who is walking next to her. "So, what's your thoughts, Yuu-chan? Like it?" she asked with obvious excitement.

The basketball practice has just ended, and the two girls were only steps away from the gym. Players are also leaking out as they head home while few of them stay behind with extra duties and responsibilities.

"It's quite amazing, Sat-chan. I don't understand much, but I can tell it's a good game." Yume offered a sincere smile at her bestfriend. She never thought she would enjoy watching the game as much as she did, even with the weird additional request to take care of.

"Manai." Speaking of the devil. Yume turned at the familiar sound to see a green tuft walking closer with his bag on his shoulder. He extended his hand to Yume. "My lucky item." he spoke curtly.

Having expected this from the awkward greenhead, Yume quickly rummages her pockets for the treat. **Nothing**. _'Uh. Oh..'_ she cursed inwardly. **'It's not here.'** she face faulted.

Yume bravely raised her gaze to meet Midorima's questioning eyes. "...I'm sorry, Midorima-kun. I must have dropped it in the gym somewhere.." she confessed, her expression scrunched in guilt. "I-I'll look for it!" she quickly spoke, before turning and running back to the gym's entrance. "Please wait for a while, Sat-chan, Midorima-kun!" she cried.

As he watched the girl's disappearing back, Midorima awkwardly slid his stretched hand down to his side. He can't even blame the girl after his request, but it doesn't stop him from frowning with distaste.

"Don't worry, Midorin. Yuu-chan will definitely find it! It's not like she walked here and there." Momoi reassured with a smile. She knows how Yume sat at the bench all through-out the game. Even if she dropped the item, it would be near the bench.

Midorima adjusted his glasses as if to hide his emotions. "I hope so." he replied briefly. He slightly recalled having watch Pisces's section on Oha Asa this morning. Fact is, Pisces comes **second** after Virgo, which is why he entrusted his lucky item to Yume.

It means a good day for Pisces. But then there's the reading for the day. _"Second is Pisces! Congratulations! You will have a good day with your friends today! You might even learn more and gain a new interest! However, note that your compatibility with Sagittarius is very poor today.. Confrontation may be unavoidable.. Anyway, today's lucky item for Pisces is—"_

 _'is...'_ Midorima trailed off in his thoughts. He can't seem to recall the most important point of it all! He would normally only listened to the Cancer's section, so he didn't really pay attention to other sections. Moreover, today he was slightly in a rush due to his little sister's prank of robbing him of his alarm clock.

Meanwhile, Yume ran into gym and immediately searched the area around the bench she and Momoi sat on. She frantically swept her eyes through the wooden floor, but she frowned when she found nothing like she is looking for. Where could have she dropped it?

"Looking for this, Manai-san?"

That earns Yume's immediate attention, although she instantaneously regrets when she did. Well, maybe not. Since he got what she is looking for there in his hand.

"I believe this is Midorima's lucky item and that he entrusted this to you during our practice." Akashi continued smoothly as Yume nodded. She slowly got up from her crouching position to face him. "Here, he must be asking for it." he smiled amusedly as he handed her the treat.

As the Vice Captain, Akashi stayed behind with Nijimura and some others to have further discussions on basketball-related stuffs. Yume nods. "Thank you, Akashi-kun.." she smiled, readying to leave. "Then, I'm leaving first.." she turned to leave.

Only to be stopped by a sharp cold tone that pierces the still air. It feels as if time has stopped.

 **"This won't be the last time you came into the gym."**

His unexpected statement prompted Yume to turn at him reluctantly, a befuddled expression on her face, even a slight fear present in her limegreen eyes.

 **"You will join the team."**

Shivers crawl up her spines as she shuddered at the dark tone Akashi carried, much like the day of the Student Council Election Presentation. Yume can feel her brain stopped working as she is strangely rooted to the ground, unable to move.

In a split second, Yume manages to spot a flicker of gold in Akashi's left eye before it disappeared in an instant that she almost missed it. As weird as it may, she fails to process that information due to her sudden brain freeze.

Yume feels dread somehow, her stomach twisted and turned. It's as if her guts feeling is telling her something about to come - something she won't like to see, from the male before her.

"I will see you tomorrow, Manai-san." Akashi smiled charmingly, returning to his gentlemanly demeanour. Leaving Yume in her stupor with her eyes wide, and hands clutching to the sweet treat like it's her lifeline.

Certainly, she is surprised beyond belief, and Yume can't be sure if she wants to know what actually happened. It's even worse that she can't escape the male now that she is in the same Student Council as he is.

Her blood runs cold at the thought.

* * *

All through out the next day, Yume tried her very best to avoid the colourful boys other then in the mandatory Student Council meeting.

However, like always, her plan _failed_ her before it even starts. **Correction:** since middle school started.

"Hmm? If it isn't Aomine, Momoi and Manai-san. Are you all eating here, too?" Akashi questioned, full with pleasantries as he smiled.

There, in the place where Yume usually had her lunch with Aomine and Momoi, is Akashi, Midorima and even Murasakibara. A coincidence or not, the fact that they are all there does not change.

Yume no longer had the will to ask or even complain at her repetitive uncomfortable situation involving these boys. She is just too tired with it all, and it seems Momoi and Aomine are just as accepting as she is.

"Have you read my notes, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned with visible interest, her eyes sparkling. Her kira-kira attack seems to be effective on Yume every time.

The brunette nods as she smiles. Momoi's notes are neatly arranged and thus easy to understand. With Yume being an avid reader, she finished it in one night. Although, she can't confidently say she understands it completely, she needs to see it in actual practice so she can connect what's written and how it is in reality.

"It's very neat and detailed, Sat-chan. Easy to understand." Yume praised sincerely, prompting the pinkette to smile in glee.

As expected of Momoi's irrefutable and wide-scaled datas, her notes lacks no tiny detail, and even beginners could easily understand the usually difficult basketball phrases with perfect definition etched near the word.

And to this amazing Momoi Satsuki, Yume actually has a question she wants to ask, **or** to he exact, someone she wants to know about - Miyazawa Ayumi's identity. However, a glance through her surrounding, and her tongue is _tied_.

No matter how curious or interested she is, Yume doesn't think she should ask her question in the presence of these many people to avoid misunderstanding. Even worse, Akashi is here.

'Maybe later..' Yume sighed inwardly. The colourful bunches certainly ruined her plan.

"Oh, right!" Momoi suddenly spoke, earning everyone's attention. "I heard that _baka_ Dai-chan challenged Midorin, and somehow dragged Yuu-chan into the bet?" she asked dubiously, all the while giving the tanned male a displeased look.

This earned Yume's immediate frantic hand-waves with a troubled expression. While Aomine grinned excitedly as he pumped his fist in the air. They spoke at the same time.

"I didn't agree to it!" Yume cried frustratedly. She looks exasperated.

"Ou!" Aomine cheered in contrast to Yume's denial. Having heard Yume's faint disagreement, he frowned at the girl. "Just do it, Yume. You have a chance while I don't!" he grumbled.

"Aren't we friends?" he spoke his ultimatum, while the girl grimaced.

Momoi doesn't seem pleased with the last sentence as she whacked the male in the head. "Friends don't work that way!" she chided harshly as the male winced, rubbing his sore head.

Aomine is about to protest, asking what the hell her deal is, when another voice cut in, a sharp, commanding one, silencing the rest but munching sounds.

"It doesn't sound bad." Akashi spoke smoothly, smiling as he did. "It'll serve as a good motivation for both Midorima and Manai-san to strive for higher scores." he added softly.

The greenhead tapped his glasses upwards with a frown. "Hmph. I will do my best regardless of the bet." he stated with confidence. "I certainly won't lose to Manai."

While Yume is not an ambitious, aggressive person, she still doesn't feel happy hearing the last sentence from the librarian. It makes her feel underestimated somehow, and she doesn't like it.

Even so, it can be said that Yume has a patience of a saint, and she won't jump on the gun just like that. She is still reluctant on her decision.

"It's best for students to be competitive with each other to achieve higher stages in academics." Akashi spoke with an authoritative smile, a smile Yume knows all-too-well. "I can assure you won't lost a thing by participating, Manai-san."

The redhead is famous for his **lethal** persuasive skill, or negatively known as his way to get people to do what he wants no matter how. Certainly, being the President of Teikō Student Council in his First year is no small feat - he deserves it.

"On the other hand, if you do, you have something to be gained." He added. Akashi can see the girl is starting to waver, and his success is near. His lips quirked upwards.

The truth in Akashi's words is undeniable and known to Yume. The deal is between Midorima and Aomine, whether she wins or loses, they will the one on the short-ends. There's no loss in it for her.

Yume sighed. Akashi just has to he so good with his words. "..Okay.." she finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. As much as she wants to say 'no', there's just no getting around Akashi.

Her submission earned Yume; Akashi's trademark smirk, Midorima's confident "I won't lose, Manai.", Aomine's joyful cheer, Momoi's sympathetic "Good luck.", and Murasakibara's indifferent "Ganbatte ne~".

A colourful responses from a colourful people.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	14. Chapter 13 - Like sitting on a carpet of

I have nothing to say. Hope the next one is coming soon~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 13 - Like sitting on a carpet of needles**

These past few days, what should be 7 to 8 hours of school have turned into a gruesome, what feels like years for poor Yume.

With her official acceptance to the Student Council, thus dealing with the two people she wishes to avoid, and now they even have to intrude on her time of peace with Momoi, and not necessarily, Aomine.

Call it an omen, but Yume feels like today **won't** be last time she's eating lunch with those boys on the rooftop.

Anyway, thanks God they're not here. Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara obviously went on their own ways home, while Aomine ran somewhere else, saying something about a photo-book release and the special-thrilling bonus for the first 100 buyers.

Thus leaving Yume to walk with Momoi, just the two of them. As they walk, Yume glances at Momoi every 5 seconds, hesitating to ask her question.

"Uh.. Sat-chan?" Yume began hesitantly, earning a soft hum from the pinkette. She fiddled with her fingers for a while, averting her gaze left and right. "...Do you... Do you know Miyazawa Ayumi?" the snowball has rolled.

"Miyazawa Ayumi?" Momoi parroted with a confused expression, pursing her lips. "I don't actually know much besides her general data." she admitted.

Yume inclines her head, silently urging her friend to continue, so Momoi ransacked her brains for said datas.

"Let's see.." Momoi hummed, pulling out her stored memories. If she is to define Miyazawa Ayumi, perhaps it would be better to explain the Club she is associated first.

"You might have known, Yuu-chan. But Teikō's Choir Club hasn't been the best one with considerable achievements that fits Teikō's standard." Momoi shortened her strides to prolong the walking time to home. She frowned slightly. "In other words, it _was_ on verge of demolition due to underachievement."

' _was_?' Yume mentally noted the use of past tense in Momoi's explanation. From the previous budget proposal, Yume has known the fact the Choir Club isn't a good one in what they do. Although she didn't know of any disbandment.

"I said _was_ , because this year, a first year musical-prodigy transferred to Teikō, and she has many musical rewards lined up under her name." Momoi turned at Yume, her lips in a straight line. "That's Miyazawa Ayumi."

Okay. Let's say that Miyazawa Ayumi is a prodigy that saves Teikō's Choir Club from disbanding, what does any of that got to do with Yume?

"With her talent no one can equal, Miyazawa Ayumi was immediately appointed as the Club President, a position recognised to be given to the person with the best musical talent." Momoi continued with her explanation, her gaze on the road as Yume tried to relate the informations to Akashi's warning.

"I heard that she sings well, comes from a relatively good family, and her achievements are quite amazing for her age. She is not bad looking either." Momoi listed Miyazawa Ayumi's strengths. Then her brows furrowed. "...Although, some of the rumours about her _hasn't_ been good." her tone fell, earning a questioning look from Yume.

Momoi turned at Yume, catching her gaze with a hardened stare. "Some claimed that she is conceited and cocky, a self-centred rich brat. And that she is two-faced." she turned her gaze back to the road as Yume frowned.

If, this Miyazawa Ayumi doesn't have a good personality, is the President of the Choir's club whose budget proposal Yume rejected, does that mean Akashi was warning her about what length Miyazawa Ayumi would go to for the budget approval?

"Anyway.. I will look for more informations tomorrow." Momoi smiled at Yume, giving her assurance.

Yume returns the smile, nodding. "Mm. Thanks, Sat-chan." they continued to walk home with Momoi's low hums, then she stopped abruptly.

"Oh, yeah. Why the sudden interest, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned in confusion. It's unlikely the two are acquaintance since Yume asked basic informations on the girl, meaning she knows next to nothing of Miyazawa Ayumi.

At this, Yume finds herself hesitating. She wonders if she can just outright tell Momoi the truth regarding Akashi's warning, or if she has to twist it a bit so Momoi won't worry, and she herself won't warrant Akashi's fury.

The redhead is an enigma Yume _can't_ and **isn't** willing to solve with the dangers he carries. With how Akashi avoided the topic before, she doesn't know if she is only to obey his order blindly or if she is allowed to look more into it.

Yume could still feel the shivers in her spine when she heard that low and dark voice Akashi spoke with earlier. It's freaking scary. One thing she is sure of, is that she doesn't want to be on the receiving end of his seemingly dual-personality.

The silence must have stretched for quite a while since Momoi tilted her head with a questioning look, her lips pursed and her brows scrunched as she patiently waited for Yume's reply.

Finally, Yume sighed. She gave in, inwardly cringing at her decision that Momoi's expression forced her to make. "...Akashi-kun told me to keep my distance from Miyazawa Ayumi." she confessed, her limegreen orbs shifting slightly.

 **"Akashi-kun?!"** Momoi shrieked like a banshee, jolting Yume's consciousness as she hastily put her finger over her lips to signal Momoi to quiet down, which she did, regulating her breathings. Her expression hardened. "If it's Akashi-kun, then we can't ignore it as it **must** be important." she mused.

To all students of Teikō Junior High, and especially to those who know Akashi Seijūrō well enough, they know it's foolish to doubt his words. There's just something about the redhead that convinced people.

"Anyway, I promise I will look more into it." Momoi's smile returned, reassuring her friend with a light pat on the shoulder. "I will definitely crack down this Miyazawa Ayumi!" she declared passionately, almost burning flames in her eyes.

Yume sweat dropped, smiling sheepishly. "Uh.. Thanks.. You can go easy, Sat-chan..." she suggested weakly. She has never seen the extent of Momoi's datas, but when she said 'crack down', it kind of scared her. Seems like she should be thankful Momoi is her friend.

* * *

Sounds of students' chatters flooded Teikō's hallway as a lone brunette heaved a huge pile of papers in her hands, almost completely blocking her vision with the height as she weaved through the crowds.

Yoshi-sensei, or 1-B's homeroom teacher had something urgent to do, or so he said, so he appointed Yume to take the notes to his desk at the Teacher room. Momoi was called to a basketball club meeting at half-class period, so she has no one offering to help. Yume sighed as she carried the weighty papers.

Yoshi-sensei should have been mindful enough to appoint another student to help her before he ran off the room, or better, have boys do it rather then a frail girl like her. Well, Yume might not be frail, but she is still a _legitimate_ female.

'This is incomprehensible...' She inwardly sighed, letting herself to wail internally, lamenting her homeroom teacher's irresponsibility. Why was she even singled out? Yume grumbled.

 **BAM.**

"Oomph..!"

Papers fluttered as they scattered around the hall after Yume bumped into someone, some are still in her hands while the others had fallen to the ground.

"I'm sorry." Yume apologised with a bow at the person before her without even taking a look at the face of the person she bumped. Then she went to gather her papers, crouching down.

"Manai-san?"

The sudden mention of her name froze Yume in her paper-gathering as she recalled having heard the voice somewhere from a previous encounter she prefers not to remember.

Yume **knows** that voice. The monotone, flat voice whose owner's eyes are more expressive than most to make up for his lack of expressions. She can't mistake it, because she's been avoiding any chance of encounter with the boy ever since that day.

It might be too late to notice, but why did he knows her name again? She didn't recall having introductions when they previously met.

"My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, Manai-san. If you are wondering why I know your name, it's from the announcement of your Student Council's position." The boy introduced himself, his back to Yume as he helped gathered the papers on his side. He didn't notice how Yume jumped when he spoke, as he had exactly answered the question in her mind.

Having enough decency, Yume squeaked a reply despite her inner turmoil. "Uh.. I-It's nice to meet y-you, K-Kuroko-kun..." she stuttered, light pink tinting her cheeks as she quickly gathered the mess around her.

"The feeling is mutual, Manai-san." Kuroko answered, his tone as flat as ever. It's almost impossible to know his feelings from the tone of his voice, which is mostly indifferent at all times.

Despite detecting no hostility from the boy, Yume is still feeling tensed from her previous mortification she can't even speak another word until they gathered the papers.

Kuroko wordlessly handed the papers he gathered, and Yume took it, stacking them together and clutching them tightly as she managed a small nod to thank the boy. "T-Thank you."

"It's okay." Kuroko replied quickly, and before the girl turned away, he spoke again, stopping her tracks. "I don't mind your praise the other day, Manai-san." he watched as Yume flinched slightly.

"I don't find it offending." He continued. "Rather, it's pleasant and _refreshing_. So please don't feel embarrassed, Manai-san." Kuroko kept his blank expression, although the same can't be said for his babyblue eyes.

After Kuroko's sincere confession, Yume is too overwhelmed with surprise that she could only nod for a while, her gaze holed on the ground. Slowly, but surely, she raised her head. "...Thank you, Kuroko-kun.." she whispered, her lips forming a minuscule smile.

As strange and shocking it was, Kuroko actually returned the smile, a small smile gracing his face for once. He even surprised himself, though he is good at masking it. "I wish you good luck with the Student Council, Manai-san."

Yume is mentally slapping herself, and would have pinched her own cheeks if the papers wouldn't fell down and scattered. She didn't actually expect a smile from the boy, but it actually made her happy.

So Yume threw aside whatever feelings but the happiness. She nodded her thanks before the two walked to the opposite direction. Although, it wasn't as mortifying as she thought it would be, her encounter with the quiet boy gave her a disturbing thought.

'If Kuroko-kun knows my name, and even linked it to my face because of the Student Council's announcement... Does that mean **everyone** knows as well...?!' she shrieked inwardly, not liking the thought at all.

As if testing her Fate, someone was observing Yume from the moment she dropped the papers, without her notice. The mysterious figure smirked before turning away from the site.

* * *

Another _loooong_ sighed escaped the brunette's lips when she discovered just how right her feelings was the day before, as she was faced with familiar colourful tufts, **three** of which shouldn't be here.

Before she started hoping, maybe Yume should just resigned to her Fate and gave up on eating her lunch in peace. Because the people around her, and peace don't come together in one package.

"It's fun to eat together like this, isn't it, Yuu-chan?" Momoi asked cheerily as she nudged her bestfriend, obviously happy with the turn of events.

Nothing can be further than the truth, is how it is for peace-loving Yume. "..Mm.. Sat-chan.." she strained a smile, not wanting to deny and hurt her friend's feelings.

After being with Momoi for months now, Yume learned the girl is basically opposite of her in almost everything. Momoi is a social butterfly and she loves company, maybe even noisy, annoying bunches since she keeps Aomine around despite his constant troubles.

On the other hand, Yume normally doesn't let people enter her space, she prefers keeping to herself and read books all day. If not for the fact that she actually enjoys Momoi's, and (slightly) Aomine's company, she would have left these people for her private sanctuary by the cherryblossom tree she found on her first day here.

Anyway, if anyone asked why the mighty Akashi and taciturn Midorima are making efforts to sit and eat together with the original three, it's because it's easier and more practical for the the Student Council members to make it to their meetings, which are 15 minutes towards the end of lunch break.

Truth or not, Akashi and Midorima insisted that is the reason, so unless you have the guts to go against the mentioned two, one should have just zipped his mouth and left it be. The purple giant just tagged along because a certain someone said it will be better that way.

"Oh, Yuu-chan? Do you have something to do this Saturday?" Momoi asked, her tone hopeful. Yume only blinked.

"You going to ask her to our practice match, Satsuki?" Aomine asked from the further side, as he lazily rested his elbows on the ledge.

Akashi chuckled. "True. It certainly would be nice if Manai-san could come and cheer for us."

"I don't see why not." Midorima responded gruffly. He couldn't care less whether the girl goes or not, it's not like it would have mattered.

It's the same for Murasakibara, who only munched his lunch, without even batting his eyes. He's plainly not interested in the conversation.

Yume recalled she had nothing scheduled this coming Saturday, although she would loved going to the library for more books to read. Even more after she got herself roped into a silly bet. But if Momoi invited her, which she already had, there's not even a plan in the first place.

"I'm free." Yume smiled a bit. Momoi's eyes sparkled at that, definitely elated at the news.

"That's great! Then we can go together!" Momoi squealed. "You see, Yuu-chan, there's actually this practice match with Tomigaoka Middle School! And-"

"They're strong!" Aomine finished with a grin, he sounds excited. "One of Tokyo's powerhouse! Can't wait to play them!" he balled his fists as Momoi huffed, not liking how he stole her sentence.

Yume sweat dropped. 'Why is he readying his fists?' They are going to play basketball, not fist-fighting. Apparently, she is not the only one with the same thoughts.

"We are playing basketball, Aomine. Crack your fists somewhere else." Midorima commented snidely, adjusting his glasses over his nose. He doesn't look pleased.

"Mine-chin looks like a gangster. His face is scary." Murasakibara added without much thoughts.

Aomine scowled at the giant. "Oh, shut up! I was born like this!" Then he turned to the greenhead. "And I'm not an idiot, Midorima! I know that!" he scoffed. How he would love the day Yume beat the tsundere off his pedestal.

Akashi ignored the silly exchanges as he nibbled on his lunch with mannerism. He might have decided to eat together with the rowdy bunches, but it's not like he has to participate in every conversations. Although, he has to say, these kind of loudness are actually kind of refreshing at times.

Some peaces would actually be nice these days for Yume. She had to deal with Akashi and Midorima, along with their quirks for the whole hour every weekdays now that they're present in her lunch times and not just the last 15 minutes.

And God **forbids** what Akashi claimed the day before at the gym when she was looking for Midorima's Lollipop. If she even has to work with them after school in the same club, Yume might as well sprouted white hairs in her teenage years.

For now, Saturday is going to be fun.

 _Hopefully._

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	15. Chapter 14 - The spectators see more of

This one is kind of a cliffhanger, and it's the first step Yume took towards the friends she considered troublesome. After a few more twists, I'm planning to end the First year arc at Chapter 20 and starts the Second year arc, which would be last one before, High School, if I decide to write one anyway.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 14 - The spectators see more of the game than the players**

When the much awaited Saturday comes, Yume thought that the tanned teen would be the happiest boy alive.

So when she arrived at Teikō to catch the bus along with everyone of the Teikō Basketball Club, which Momoi and Akashi has gotten permission from the Coach for, and saw Aomine's _sullen_ expression with a bump on the back of his head, she's in for a confusion.

"Err... What happened, Sat-chan..?" Yume whispered to her seatmates and bestfriend, as the bus started its engine for a 30 minutes journey.

The basketball guys are seated at the back, while the manager, Coach and some others with non-player position sit on the front-half of the bus, including Yume.

Momoi immediately understands Yume's underlying question, after all her childhood friend's mood has plummet when he discovered what he _really_ should have known. He's just too ignorant and stupid that it frustrates her.

She sighed. "..Base line is, First years are only to participate in matches **after** the 2nd Term has started, which is about 2 months from now.." Momoi explained with a tired voice.

"..And I say Daiki-kun didn't know that?" Yume replied with a nod. It's a plausible argument when Aomine didn't even know about the Student Council election which was widely booming at school.

Another sigh escaped Momoi's lips. She looks exasperated. "Yes...!" she almost-shouted. Frankly, she expected that at least her idiot for a childhood friend would know that one simple regulation before he registered for the club, but no! He just has to be that stupid, idiot basket-baka!

Teikō Basketball Club upholds one absolute rule; **Winning is everything**. Other than that, to preserve their amazing reputation, freshmen are to undergo basic training for the first 3 months before they are allowed to play in matches, be it official or not.

While the acceptance of the 4 freshmen to the First string is unprecedented, the simple fact that they are freshmen doesn't change, and they are to be treated equally like the other freshmen. This is done to make sure none goes out of orders.

And Aomine, being the one-track mind basket-baka he is, joins the club without a second thought only when he heard the school is renowned for having a strong basketball club. Never has he thinks of the 2nd Term regulation, or that he's told to come only to observe the match and not to partake in it.

"..This morning.." Momoi began, recalling the time when she came to Aomine's house to discover he's all awake and ready to go, which was a big shock.

* * *

 _Flashbacks..._

 _As part of her daily responsibility, Momoi pushed open the door to the Aomine's household, her own bag on her shoulder._

 _"Dai-chan! Wak—"_

 _"Oh. Satsuki. You're here." Aomine remarked casually. He was just about to wear his shoes and stepped out of his home when Momoi entered his house. "Let me wear the shoes then let's go." he noted as he bended down to slip on his sneakers._

 _"Wa-Wait, Wait, Wait!" Momoi chanted with a bewildered tone, staring at her childhood friend like he just grew another head. "You're actually awake and ready?! What or who do I thank for this miracle, Dai-chan?!" she shrieked._

 _"Hah?" Aomine raised his brow. "What are you talking about, Satsuki? There's no way I'm missing a basketball game." he stated as if it's the most obvious thing in the world._

 _This time, Momoi raised her brow instead. "There is a practice match with the Tomigaoka Middle School." she began, her eyes narrowing at the tanned teen suspiciously. "..but you know about the 2nd Term rule, don't you, Dai-chan?" she whispered cautiously._

 _Aomine continued to tie his sneakers, without sparing a glance to the pinkette. "What kind of stupid rule is that? Something about basketball?" he asked in disinterest._

 _A palm soon made its way to Momoi's forehead, a frustrated look on her face as her shoulders slumped backwards. How is she going to break this to the idiot here? Straight and clean. She inhaled deeply._

 _"Listen, Dai-chan.." Momoi began weakly as Aomine tied his other shoes after having done with one side. Her eyes holed on top of his head. "...Only the 2nd years and 3rd years are playing in today's game."_

 _5 seconds passed. 10 seconds passed. 15 seconds pass—_

 _ **"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"**_

 _Aomine hollered with such force that Momoi back pedalled a few steps. His outburst must have caused some birds in the neighbourhood to fly away in distress._

 _Not to mention the tanned teen's parents flinched as his father slammed the bathroom door open, asking what the hell is going on, while a rattan carpetbeater made its way to the unsuspecting boy's head, courtesy of his mother who was spanking some laundries._

 _Flashback ends..._

* * *

"...I-I see.." Yume muttered in response, keeping her other thoughts to herself. She stole a glance at the sulking boy from the bus window on her side.

Speaking honestly, she feels bad for Aomine after she had seen how his eyes sparkled at the mention of the game when they first told her about it. However, she knows how and why the 2nd Term rule exists and the reason why it must be obeyed with no excuses.

Think about it. Teikō Basketball Club housed more than a hundred of players, and a huge reputation to boot. To manage such a huge organisation, orders must be made and it serves to be followed without further questioning or it would crumble into nothingness.

This 2nd Term rule is one that solidifies the freshmen's position in the club, and they are unconsciously demanded to obey the very first rule before the other, proving their loyalty to the club and their seriousness before they actually carry the name of Teikō to matches.

"..Is there really no chance of Daiki-kun and the rest playing in this match, Sat-chan?" Yume murmured, her gaze fixated on Aomine's reflection on the window.

The rest, which obviously refers to the colourful bunches whose attendances are required despite no participation is allowed.

Momoi sighed. She's been doing that a lot today, mostly because the idiotic friend. "Unless the 2nd years and 3rd years magically fell sick with stomachaches, that they have to be transported to nearby hospital, then I say none, Yuu-chan..."

'Magic, eh?' Yume mused. Considering today's high-end technologies, magic is out of the question. Although, she didn't stop considering other possibilities that might actually work.

Looking at her bestfriend's thoughtful looks, Momoi smiles sweetly. She is happy that Yume finally considers Aomine as her friend then just her childhood friend. This is one of the reason why she adores the girl, Yume is just a sweet, caring friend!

"Don't worry too much, Yuu-chan! I have no doubt that Dai-chan will return happy because I cooked him my special **Satsuki's 5 Stars Healthy Bento**!" Momoi chirped as her eyes gleamed with confidence and pride. Not knowing how her seatmate flinched.

Uh. Oh. Seems like Aomine will end up in hospital for stomachache due to food poisoning today. Rather than magic, it seems Momoi's cooking is a _much_ _more_ powerful spell.

Yume wisely keeps her silence throughout the journey, avoiding any further discussion of Momoi's special bento in fear of said girl offering one for her. Momoi is a nice girl who loves to share, but her cookings left something to be desired.

It wasn't long before they reach their destination, and the players alighted the bus in a carefree yet confident manners, having a superior air around them. Tomigaoka Middle School might be one of Tokyo's powerhouse, but Teikō's undefeated streaks are definitely better in all aspects.

Aomine begrudgingly trudged after his senpais with obvious distaste. Just because they are born one or two years early, they got to hog the games under his nose which is just plain unacceptable.

Of course, being the ignorant boy he is, Aomine doesn't consider any other reasons. All he knows is that he can't play because he is born late.

Midorima doesn't fare much better. He actually considers himself ready for a match with one of Tokyo's powerhouse if he's teamed with the other first years.

He might not show it, or say it for that matter, but he respects and acknowledges Akashi's, Murasakibara's, and even Aomine's abilities and their readiness to play much like his.

Murasakibara is annoyed because he's not here out of his own volition. He doesn't even play in this game, so why must he attends and missed his weekend trip to his favourite patisserie?

It's also nagging at him how he's not allowed to play just because of he's a freshmen. He is one of Teikō's best Centers even amongst the First string. What will he even learn from a game of those mostly weaker than him?

Akashi, on the other hand, doesn't seem bothered with the situation at all. He's not sulking, frowning, nor is he complaining like the other three. Besides, when you actually see Akashi acting like them, it's practically the end of the world.

However, what goes through his mind is a different matter altogether. What's hidden is most unexpected, and Akashi might just be using his calculating mind to create a favourable situation to him. Then again, who knows what the redhead is thinking.

* * *

The game has been going on for quite a while now, the 2nd Quarter is nearing its end. Teikō is definitely leading with 54 to 48, Tomigaoka slightly lagging behind. The scores are to be expected since both schools are strong, their players' strengths almost equal in overall and not individuals.

What's **weird** , however, is the tremendous amount of sweats dripping from Teikō's players. Even Nijimura looks like he's having a hard time. And other then the sweats, there're the purple bruises in all 5 of Teikō players.

Coach Sanada narrowed his eyes in disgust. He can't believe that the once respected school has sunk so low to resort into foul plays in their own grounds. The referee also belongs to their side, which is supporting their shady plays.

So far, he can see that the 2nd years and 3rd years are faring nicely against the dirty plays pitted against them. It's one of the things experience can teach you, avoiding foul plays and being aware of the referee's line of vision.

However, he can also see that his players are nearly at their limits before collapsing. Their prides about the only thing that keeps them strong and standing. Coach Sanada sneaks a glance to his bench players, the freshmen restrained under the 2nd Term rule and he gritted his teeth.

Even he can see that Teikō is bound to lose if this keeps on. He only bring along 8 First string players that consisted of 2nd years and 3rd years, and another 4 players being 1st years. The 3 reserve players can be substituted on the latter half, likely the 3rd Quarter, and it still won't be enough.

For once, Coach Sanada finds himself cursing the 2nd Term rule.

As the manager, Momoi is sitting on the bench next to Coach Sanada, the right one as the left side is where the boys, the players, sit on. Yume is sitting with her, being a guest.

"This is awful.." Momoi muttered under her breath, only enough for Yume to hear. She can see Teikō losing, and Coach Sanada still won't send out Aomine and the rest! She also doesn't like seeing her senpais battered up like that.

What can she do to stop this and overturn the game into their favour? How can she convince Coach Sanada to recall the players and send the freshmen instead? Questions riddled her thoughts as Momoi frowned deeper.

Yume shares Momoi's thoughts regarding the game. It's downright dirty and disgusting with the underhanded plays. The referee must either be blind or he's actually supporting a wrong cause.

A look at Momoi's anxious expression and Coach Sanada's gritted teeth are enough to tell Yume the graveness of the situation. She turned to see where the colourful boys are sitting, and she is not surprised to the expressions on their faces, ranging from mildly annoyed to immense fury.

Furious is a close word to describe Aomine's emotion as he bore holes on the court where dirty plays he dislikes are happening freely left and right. He's even more frustrated as he can't play, he tried begging his Coach, but no matter how he asked, the answer is still 'no'. He clenched his fists hard, his nails digging into his palm.

It's a daily sight to see Midorima frowning, so there might not be anything different other then his threatening air leaking out from his clouded glasses. As one with logical understanding, he can see why his Coach won't let them play even with the grave situation. He understands, but he can't help his feelings that's urging him to abandon all rules and just dashed to the court.

The giant purplehead might not enjoy basketball as much as his teammates, but he shares their reluctance to losing. So with how things are on court, rather than the underhanded plays, what bothered Murasakibara the most is that Teikō is on verge of losing if this keeps up. Worse, he's deprived of his snacks and he is stressed more than ever with no outlet.

Even the calm Akashi is mildly annoyed, though his feelings can only be sensed by Yume, who noticed the faint flickers of annoyance in his ruby orbs. Other then that, Akashi looks fairly neutral like he normally is. But then again, there's a proverb that says, the calm before storm.

After a through observation on the boys and the immense frustrations she picked, Yume is even more anxious. Certainly, she didn't expect this situation when she woke up this morning to watch what she believed to be an ordinary, friendly practice match of basketball.

Yume doesn't understand basketball until just few days ago. She is not part of Teikō Basketball Club, and nor does she have a responsibility to help the freshmen boys that have mostly bothered her with their presences alone.

However.

Yume has to admit that it's been _more_ of a school life these days when friends, finally entered her frame. It's not peaceful like she imagined it, **definitely** **not** , but there's a sense of joy every time they sat down and talk. It's... _fulfilling_.

A slight peek to her left, Yume can see a pink wrapped, 3-layered box, some supplements and proteins, thermoses with water, and lastly some white fluffy towels stacked neatly.

'..Just this once...' Yume gulped nervously. She decided to pluck her courage, and did something she might regret later on.

If the Coach won't send the 1st years out to the court, if Momoi can't convince him to, and if having the boys play be the only way out of this messy situation...

Then so be it.

As the only 'outsider' with no expectation and responsibility on her shoulders, Yume will perform _her_ magic spell.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	16. Chapter 15 - All things are difficult

Thanks for all the reviews~! I'm obliged to write another chapter that satisfy you all. So anyway, I will try for another chapter this week, and My Dignified Imouto is coming up next, also Rainbow Drops is likely to resume updates next week. In this chapter, Yume will start to question herself about her vague friendship with the guys, and how she truly feels about having them around.

 _ **To**_ _ **Jounouchi123:**_ Yume's past is going to be a secret until it's not, but hey, I'm giving out clues here and there. Yeah, Aomine and Momoi need to know first, although another eagle-eyed person might just find it first, who knows. As for the girl Akashi warned her, she's making appearance soon, real soon.

 _ **To Guest:**_ Haizaki? Well story-wise, he didn't apply for the try out, so I assumed he got scouted or applied late in the year. So he won't be here until much later.

 _ **To Dina Sana:**_ I will be putting it up in this story, it's going to be a pain separating them all, so yeah. And while I said the Second year arc will start on Chapter 20, it's not yet the fixed schedule, so I might add few chapters more. I will see how it turns out, since there are few fillers I plan to write.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 15 - All things are difficult before they are easy**

There are noises everywhere, from every directions. Loud cheers from both benches of each school, and the squeaking of shoes, then the dribbling of ball from the court.

All attentions are directed to the court, and no one notices the suspicious movements of a certain brunette girl, or the obvious bulge on her duffel bag when she asked for a restroom break.

In Yume's line of vision are her magical ingredients to concoct the 'poison'. _**One**_ , Momoi's elusive special bento, and, _**Two**_ , supplement pills. After another moment of consideration, Yume grimaced. She can't believe what she is about to do.

In the 13 years she's been alive, never has Yume plans someone's demise. Not even once, she pranks people. And yet she's about to do worse. She could only hope her lack of experience won't cost her another trouble.

"Here goes nothing..." Yume gulped. She shakily reached for the pink-wrapped box and slowly unwrapped it to find a 3-tiered bento box. She sweat dropped. 'Sat-chan must have gone all out in this one...' And Aomine would have died if he's to consume it all.

After preparing her eyes for what cruelty she is about to see, Yume opened the lid. Like she expects, it truly is harm for the eyes. Although, for the _first_ time, and most likely the _last_ , she finds hope in the familiar, yet unidentified slimy things in Momoi's bento. Seems like her bestfriend has yet to improve her cooking skill.

"Let's see... There're **8** players in total, so _this_ much should be enough.." Yume muttered, picking a handful of supplement and grind them to dust. She cringed as she mixed the two deathly combinations, feeling like a witch with her cauldron. She shuddered at the thought.

Soon, the 'poison' is complete. What's left is actually getting the patients to consume it. Yume have thought of the method; she plans to use the thermoses to her advantage, since one can't see what's inside, they won't notice if the drinking water is 'polluted'.

As for the taste... let's just hope they won't catch on.

* * *

Yume returned just in time, 3 minutes before the end of the 2nd Quarter. The situation hasn't changed for the better. Teikō regulars are playing more and more sluggish with their bruises and fatigues, and even with the substitution of 3 reserve players, another 2 will still be the exhausted players out of the 5 currently on court.

"Momoi. Fill those bottles to the brim. They're going to need lots of water to hydrate themselves." Coach Sanada ordered without taking his eyes off the match.

From the corner of his eyes, Momoi nodded. She quickly got on her feet and proceed to cradle all those bottles, before half are taken by another pair of hands.

Momoi looked up in slight surprise. "I will help you, Sat-chan." Yume smiled, cradling half of the bottles.

"Thank you, Yuu-chan!" Momoi spoke in sincere gratitude. She then made haste. "Let's go!" she cheered as Yume followed closely behind her trail.

Of course, that's just the golden opportunity for Yume to execute her plans. And Momoi doesn't know that.

The two girls stopped when they reached a water fountain. Momoi quickly takes her bottles and fills them one by one, while Yume 'did' her bottles.

'I'm very sorry for this, senpais.. I honestly mean no harm...' Yume prayed inwardly as she poured the liquid into the bottles.

After she's done, Yume took the bottles Momoi filled, and hand her unfilled ones. Momoi doesn't seal the bottles in her haste, which is a huge help for her.

Without anyone noticing, the bottles are all now 'contaminated'. Yume could only hope that her senpais will be able to attend school when Monday comes around.

Yume doesn't know the extent of Momoi's cooking, even more when it's paired with an unknown factor of a supplement. Surely, it won't kill a person! ... _hopefully_.

"The 2nd Quarter is ending in another 30 seconds! We have to run, Yuu-chan!" Momoi shrieked frantically, swiftly taking half of the bottles before breaking into a run, Yume closely behind. The regulars are most likely waiting for their water now.

On the other hand, while her feet are moving like Usain Bolt, Yume's mind is muddled and rattled. '...I feel like I'm forgetting _something_ important..' she frowned.

Certainly, her plans are going smoothly. The 'poison' was complete, and she is 90% sure of its effects. Yume even makes sure that _**all 8**_ bottles have the mixtures.

So what is this uneasy feeling that tells Yume that she is going to mess up?

"Oh, Momoi. Manai, too. Thanks for the hard work, girls." Nijimura smiled, waving his hand weakly at the two approaching girls. He really needs those water now, his throat is so parched with all the sweating.

Momoi returned the smile, quickly handing the bottles to the 4 regulars closest to her. "Good work, senpais. Please have a rest, I will massage your legs one at a time." she rolled her sleeves, crouching before Nijimura first, since he took the most foul plays.

As she watched the scenes unfold before her eyes, realisation dawned on Yume, **hard**. The 4 bottles Momoi handed to the regulars are emptied almost immediately, the remaining 4 are still in her hands, as her feet are rooted to the ground.

There are **8** eligible players consisting of 2nd years and 3rd years, **8** bottles of 'mixed' water, while there are **4** ineligible players of 1st years. _Do the maths._ Basketball match **requires** _**5**_ players.

 _Dear Heaven._

Yume almost dropped the bottles to the ground as she lost her strength momentarily. Only for the 3 reserve players that haven't gotten their drinks yet took them from her.

"Careful there! Thanks for this, err.. I don't know your name.. I will just give this to Nijimura. He needs this." one of them spoke with a sheepish grin, turning on his heels and approached Nijimura while Yume is stunned.

'This _can't_ be happening! Oh, my stupid, careless mistake!' Yume screamed internally, her mind a mess.

Her eyes widen as Nijimura took the bottle, thanking the guy as he quickly lifts the bottle, the tip of it touching his lips and the liquid about to flow out.

 **"N-No!"**

With her sudden outburst, Yume gains the attention of all the people around her. Feeling eyes on her, her gaze fell to the ground in embarrassment. Even she herself can't believe she just shouted.

"What's with her?" Aomine muttered in confusion. From the time he knows Yume, it's the first time he heard her shout.

Midorima scoffed. "Idiot."

"Hmm.." Murasakibara hummed lazily.

While Akashi raised his brows in suspicion. From what he knows, the brunette isn't one to shout, much less in public. Meaning, there _must_ be a good reason behind it.

"Yuu-chan? What's wrong..?" Momoi paused in her massage, giving Yume a concerned look.

Thankfully, Nijimura hasn't yet downed the liquid, probably due to his bewilderment from her sudden yell. Yume quickly ransacked her brain for ideas, before her hands swiftly reached her duffel bag, producing another bottle, see-through, filled with lemon water.

Yume shoved it forward to Nijimura's direction with both hands, despite how her feet are still firmly rooted to the floor, and she's about 5 steps away from him.

"T-This..! P-Please have this instead!" Yume can feel her face burns with embarrassment, and her eyes tightly shut. By now, her ears are also red.

 _Why oh why_ she decided to do this again? Look at what it got her into. If only Yume was just watching and didn't plan any of these things, she could have saved herself from this utterly embarrassing situation!

Nijimura can only blinked at the sudden development. He can't believe what he just heard, or even witnessed. Although, he feels kind of sorry for the girl, looking how red her face is.

"..Nijimura gets the girl, _again?_ This is starting to get old." One of the 2nd years murmured in envy. Amongst the First stringers, Nijimura is the most popular. That is, before the appearances of the 1st years.

"What's this.. We only got water, and Nijimura gets the _lemon_ _water_? I'm seriously killing him one of these days." Another grumbled, downing his water furiously.

The raven-haired Captain is not deaf to the obvious jealousy, nor is he blind to the scene before him. So Nijimura quietly put the bottle in his hand on the bench, and slowly walked to where the brunette is.

He took the bottle in her hands, his cheeks tinted slight pink as his hand awkwardly clutched the back of his neck. "..Thanks for this, Manai.." Nijimura muttered. He looks _adorable_ with the slight blush.

Feeling the weight disappeared from her hands, Yume opened her eyes and looked up in surprise. She didn't expect he would actually accept, her being nearly a complete stranger to the guy.

A little peek at Nijimura's blushing face, and she found her lips moved automatically, as her tone faltered. "Y-Your welcome, senpai..." Yume replied shyly, keeping her eyes on the ground.

Momoi can feel her heart stops for a moment when she saw Yume's adorable expression. ' _Goodness me..!_ Yuu-chan is _sooo_ cute, it's killing me!' she squealed internally.

Nijimura walked away first, joining the rest of the guys as he drank the refreshing liquid. He received nudgies from his friends, due to their jealousy. Of course, they don't do anything that could have harm him.

After a while, Yume wordlessly returned to her seat while Momoi is tending to the guys. She could still feel eyes on her, but she tried hard to ignore them. One of which _is_ Akashi's intense stare, as if he's trying to dissect her whole.

Yume had to convince herself all-over, that she is doing this for the team, and not her personal interest or anything like it. Although, she has to admit. Nijimura's blushing expression has her heart beating like crazy even now.

No wonder he is popular and highly sought after by the females population. Nijimura got the looks, and talents in check. If not for her conception of love, Yume _might_ have fallen for him.

Then again, that's an _'if'_. A _very_ big 'if'. Because Yume knows, that the only thing constant is change, and that includes the feelings of love. She learned that when she was very young. And now the idea of falling in love sounds so wrong to her brain.

The 2nd Quarter break lasted for 10 minutes, and soon the players are back on the court. As soon as the whistle is blown, however, like a delayed effects, Teikō regulars all fell one by one. Everyone, even the now benched regulars, _except_ Nijimura alone, are now lying on the ground, unconscious.

"What the-?!" Coach Sanada stood abruptly. "Stretchers! Get the stretchers!" he yelled for help, which soon comes flooding in the court. Nijimura looks lost on the court, as he stood alone amongst the unconscious bunch.

Confused murmurs filled the gym, and Yume shifted in discomfort, from the noises, and the events she caused. And it **didn't** escape _someone's_ notice. Momoi have called the ER, and the collapsed guys are soon transported to the hospital with ambulances.

Since the players are still middle school students, and thus minor, Teikō could be held responsible if anything were to happen. So even with the fact that they are on verge of forfeiting, Coach Sanada has to let them go.

Although, that may not be the case. Because the 1st years are ready to kick the Tomigaoka guys. And as Coach Sanada has no other choice to save Teikō's reputation but to send out the freshmen regulars, he begrudgingly void the 2nd Term rule for the current match.

That day, Tomigaoka felt the wrath of Teikō's future best players, and suffered an overwhelming lost of **64** _**to**_ **126**.

* * *

The remaining Teikō students left the public school happy. Coach Sanada and Nijimura had left to visit the regulars in the hospital, so Yume and the rest of the basketball club members are walking to the nearest bus station.

"Man! That was fun! Too bad they played dirty." Aomine stretched his arms with a satisfied grin. His scowl from this morning had vanished without a trace.

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Still. I have to wonder just _what_ had actually transpired with our senpais." he furrowed his brows in thoughts.

"I wonder about that, too.. It's not just fatigue since the reserve players also collapsed..." Momoi nodded in agreement, her fingers on her chin.

Murasakibara shrugged, munching his chips. "Who knows? We got to play, so it's alright." he replied, obviously not interested in the conversation.

"Well, Fate might just have chosen our side." Akashi commented with a meaningful smile. He shifted his gaze to Yume, who has been quiet through the entire conversations. ".. _or_ _someone_ had brought Fate to our side."

Akashi smirks as he watched Yume flinched ever slightly. Truth is, she's been trying real hard to keep her reactions at bay, knowing them to be the reasons that could give her away. But, of course, Akashi just has to get his answers. And he _did_ , when she flinched.

"I think my bag is lighter than this morning.." Momoi frowned. "Did I leave something on the gym?" she pursed her lips thoughtfully. Then her eyes widen.

 _"My special bento!"_ Momoi exclaimed loudly, and as one, the rest of them stiffen.

Yume has seen first-hand of Momoi's bento, Aomine suffered from it since childhood, while Akashi, Midorima, and Murasakibara happened to see it by chance when said girl handed one of those to Aomine during club's practice.

Momoi quickly rummaged through her bag, and is immediately disappointed when she couldn't find said pink-wrapped 3-layered box.

While Aomine went _'Hallelujah!'_ as relieved tears flow from his eyes and he raised his arms upwards in a banzai motion.

Her disheartened expression tugs at Yume's guilty conscience, and she decided to speak up. "Uh, Sat-chan?" she nudged Momoi's slightly.

"Your bento, is this it?" Yume took the pink-wrapped box from her bag and handed it to Momoi, much to the tanned male's horror, now sporting the 'Scream' expression.

Happiness is clearly written in Momoi's face. "It _is_ , Yuu-chan! Thank you so much!" she nearly cried in joy.

Yume scratched her cheeks sheepishly. "I found it under the bench, someone might have knocked it down, so I doubt it's in an _eatable_ condition..." she added.

"Aww.. That's too bad. But at least I got the boxes back!" Momoi frowned before smiling. She turned to her childhood friend. "Guess it will be next time then, Dai-chan~!" she sing-sang.

Aomine face faulted, his face rapidly losing colour. _**"Hell no!"**_ he shouted before shivering and broke into a run, as if escaping from a serial killer.

"What's with _that_ reaction, Dai-chan?!" Momoi yelled after the running boy, her cheeks puffed in anger as she stomped her feet on the ground, frustrated.

'The _**normal**_ reaction..' The remaining members concluded internally, sharing their unanimous thoughts as they looked away from the fuming pinkette.

Each and every one of them is **truly** glad that they're not the girl's childhood friend. One can only imagine the taste tortures Aomine went through since young age. It's even worse considering how Momoi is completely your ideal-type of girl. If only she cooks decently.

The walk home is filled with mindless chatters, and happy laughters as they talked about whatever's under the sun. Aomine tends to shift the conversation towards basketball and Midorima hardly contributes what's not snide remarks, but still they all have fun.

"Now that I remember, have any of you heard about the Summer Training Camp? Head Coach is currently scheduling them!" Momoi spoke happily, excited at the thought of the camp.

Unlike the joyful female, the air around the boys dropped to below zero. "You said the Head Coach _did?_ This summer is going to be pure **Hell**.." Aomine grimaced, shuddering as he recalled the smiley-old man.

The Head Coach rarely makes his appearance on the gym, although Akashi said that he's there most of the time, only that he hid from the players' line of sight. He's a nice, polite gentleman overall, but as a Coach, he is a truly _terrifying_ man.

When the 4 of them, being 1st years yet making the team after the first try out, of course said executive just had to make his introduction. What's notable is his way of making introduction, which is utterly unforgettable and painfully engraved into their bodies in the form of terrible sores for the whole week.

"Did he say where it's going to be held?" Midorima asked in slight discomfort. He'd like as many informations he can get to prepare himself before he stepped into what could possibly his hellish summer.

"Geh. If it's that old man then he's going to keep everything secrets until the D-day." Murasakibara commented bitterly. Of all things he hates, one of them is said man's trainings.

Akashi hummed. "I believe Summer comes after the exams. Wouldn't it be wise to worry about that first?" he reminded as Aomine's shoulders slumped even more.

Meanwhile, _something_ in Yume stirred as she gazed at the conversing teens with topics she's not aware of. While she is happy, she is also slightly sad. As she heard them talk and interact with one another, she is strongly reminded that she is an 'outsider', much like how she can even help them today.

Her heart clenched at the sight of colourful tufts. Yume can't tell what is it that she feels exactly. _Does she want to be a part of them?_

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	17. Chapter 16 - Shared joy is a double joy

This is one of the three stories updates! About Yume and Nijimura, yeah, I figured it would be cute interactions! Since Nijimura is a senpai unlike the rest, there're some scenes that only fits with the two characters. After the tests, and few more interactions, I'm planning to write the gakuensai or Cultural Festival in Teikō for few chapters. Is that a good idea?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 16 - Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow**

Another day of school passed by, and it's almost sad to say that it's the 'usual' day where Yume had lunches together with the basketball group, then a meeting with two people from the lunch group.

Even now she can still hear those murmurs behind her back, some pointing fingers at her. All because of Akashi's and Midorima's, 'This is more practical.' reason.

That's right. It's all because the two insist on going to the Student Council office together, then the rest of the basketball group ended up going along until before said destination's door.

And, _voila!_ Now Yume is the centre of attention within her own school. Her 'peaceful' school life had went to a place with no return. The basketball group is just too eye-catching that she ended up being dragged into the spotlight.

Where is the school life she dreamed of? Where she can read books after books, depriving Teikō's library of their knowledges, and save money with her part-time works? It's seems so far-away now, so out-of-reach for one Manai Yume.

Another sigh escaped her lips for the umpteenth times. While Yume has to admit that she is starting to enjoy the companies of the basketball guys she initially refused knowing, she still can't say they worth all the troubles, and needless attentions that came along.

Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara, Aomine and Momoi are just too amazing that they attract eyes wherever they go, be it for their exceptional appearances, or their inherent talents. The above mentioned and the peace Yume dreamed of just don't come hand-in-hand.

Which is why, this kind of time where the brunette can spend a leisure time of quiet and solitude is truly necessary for her. With Momoi and the guys in the Basketball Club, she is free to walk home by herself, her much needed 'away from public's eyes' time.

Or at least it should be.

"You are Manai Yume, aren't you? I have something to talk about the Choir Club's budget proposal." a girl spoke in a confident and oppressive tone, standing firm in the middle of the hallway to show she means business.

If the 'Choir Club's budget proposal' is any indication, then Yume has just found herself in a predicament the redhead had likely foreseen. "Yes, I am... _and you are?"_ she managed hesitantly.

"Oh. Excuse me for my rudeness." The girl made a curt bow, before a smirk wormed its way to her lips.

"My name is Miyazawa Ayumi, a 1st year from 1-D, also the acting President of Teikō Choir Club. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Manai-san." she smiled pleasantly, although it felt otherwise.

Yume almost cursed inwardly. It's just one thing after another! Why can't she have her peace for just half-a-day? This has to happen when Momoi is not here, too! With how Akashi specifically warned her to keep away from the girl who is now before her, the brunette can't help but be overly cautious.

"Can we talk now, Manai-san? I believe it's your job as the Student Council Treasurer to consult students regarding their Club's budgets." Miyazawa smiled again, patiently waiting for positive response from the dumbstruck girl.

With the issues of her Student Council's position brought up, certainly Yume can't just flat refuse Miyazawa's approach for discussion. It's undeniable that it is her job, which is probably why Akashi warned her so as not to meet the girl, because she would have no way out if she did.

 _"Manai-san?"_

Another call is heard, and Yume flinched. But this time, it's not Miyazawa Ayumi. There, in the shadowed half of the hallway stood a dull-looking male with blank expression of indifference. He walked closer to the two girls who were startled at his sudden appearance.

"K-Kuroko-kun.." Yume noted with a slight sigh of relief. The boy just got ways to surprise her whenever they met.

Miyazawa eyed the boy with annoyed gaze. She doesn't like it when someone disturbed her, and this boy just did. 'Who is he anyway?' she internally grumbled with distaste.

"Manai-san, Yamada-sensei is waiting for the Student Council documents you're supposed to submit today. He is looking for you." Kuroko informed, while Yume raised her brow at the obvious lie.

If it's not for the fact that Yume doesn't know of such documents, she wouldn't be able to tell if the stoic boy is lying or not. All Student Council documents are submitted through Satou-sensei, who then brought it to the Teachers Meeting and, or, the School Board Assembly.

"It seems that you are busy. I can't keep you here then, Manai-san." Miyazawa turned to smile at Yume. "I will find you at a later date. Please excuse me."

Miyazawa walked away with such poise and grace that the brunette almost admire her manners if not for Akashi's warnings and the way her eyes glinted with hidden motives.

"A-Ah, y-yes.. until then, Miyazawa-san..." Yume muttered after the leaving girl. When Miyazawa is no longer seen, she let out the sigh she's been holding.

Yume slowly turned to Kuroko, a grateful smile on her face. "Thank you, Kuroko-kun." she bowed as the male nodded.

"It's nothing, Manai-san. It's just a coincidence." Kuroko explained indifferently, as if he didn't just do someone a favour. "I only happened to see you looking troubled when I was on my way to the teachers room."

Yume smiled shyly, a slight tint colouring her pale cheeks. "Nevertheless, you helped me, Kuroko-kun. If there's anything I could help you with, p-please don't hesitate to tell me."

Kuroko nodded slightly. "I understand, Manai-san. I will be going then." he inclined his head as he excused himself, disappearing into the dark part of the hallway.

"Mm. S-See you, Kuroko-kun.." Yume stuttered with a small wave of her hand. If it was a week ago she wouldn't even consider using the words that implied her next meeting with said boy.

However, it seems Kuroko is a tolerable boy after all, much more than Aomine and the rest of the guys she was 'forced' to know. Next time, Yume decided to behave nicely when she met the babyblue-haired male. Maybe they can even talk about books, seeing as he seems to hold quite an interest in them.

It will be awkward for sure, but Yume finds herself wanting to be friends with the quiet male, feeling similarities between them. Kuroko does seem the mild-mannered and rational kind.

Not having Momoi with her _might_ have done her good this time.

* * *

The next morning came in a quiet and refreshing manners like it always does, and our heroine welcomed the day with a small smile, grateful for another day.

For Yume, she always loves mornings best. At this point of time, there's no need for explanation as to why. Simple and quiet have always been her favourites.

With the 20 minutes of leisure time as she walked to Teikō, Yume let herself ponder over the recent events that have happened in her life.

In her first year of junior high, Yume made friends for the first time. And while they aren't always as enjoyable and agreeable as she was under the impression of, they are good people she can relate to most of the time.

Momoi is definitely Yume's best of friends, one that makes her most comfortable and have most fun with. It helps that she is a girl just like her, although their mannerisms might just be a polar opposite.

Aomine is probably her second-best, as he is the person she spends most time with after the pinkette female. While he is crude, brash and the rebel-kind of student, he is nice and interesting to be with.

As for the other three who invited themselves into her social circle, Yume has no pleasant words in her mind just yet. It was just so sudden and unwelcomed, that she really doesn't know what to say.

Yume shuddered as she recalled Akashi's smiling face that seems strangely threatening, Midorima's deep scowl etched on his expression, and Murasakibara's dead glare whenever something he dislikes were brought up.

The three images she conjured towered over her head, as if looking down on her with ominous dark clouds in the background, despite how the morning sun is shining brightly in actual reality.

As of now, whatever positive feelings Yume has for the three boys are heavily pushed by the other less pleasing feelings instead.

It seems like it will be long before she could actually welcome their existences into her school-life, seeing how the three boys aren't being nearly cooperative.

 **"YUU-CHAN!"**

The frantic cry ruined whatever peace there was when a familiar pinkette lunged herself at Yume, almost toppling the latter over. And this unfortunate event occurred just few steps away from Teikō's gate.

Yume tried to speak after what air she had was forcibly pushed out of her lungs, but Momoi still got her words out first, loudly, too.

 **"IS IT TRUE THAT MIYAZAWA AYUMI CONFRONTED YOU YESTERDAY?!"** Momoi continued to holler, with her dead-grip set on Yume's shoulders.

With the incredible volume of voice, and squeezing pains almost reaching her bones, Yume could only manage a weak nod, her limegreen eyes unfocused.

Momoi's eyes widen as she shook Yume back and forth vigorously, making said girl's eyes spin. **"Why didn't you tell me?!"** she demanded.

The brunette would have answered if she could, but Momoi is nearly unstoppable when she's into something, her peach orbs on fire. "What happened? Did she do anything? No way... Did she threaten you?! What did she say?! That Miyazawa!"

Thankfully, even with the loud commotion caused by the lone teenage girl, the morning is still early and thus not many students are present in the scenes. Although, there are indeed few interested spectators by the sides.

"B-Bre-Breathe...! I-I n-need..a-air...!" Yume staggered, her lungs constricting painfully for oxygen Momoi deprived her of. Finally aware of the harms she caused, the pinkette quickly let go, looking guilty.

Yume ignored her surroundings as she focused on breathing in and out, stabilising her respiratory system as Momoi looked on worriedly. When she is settled, she opened her eyes to meet a concerned pair of peach orbs.

Despite the pain her friend has put her through, Yume smiled to ease the girl's mind. "I'm fine, Sat-chan. I really am." she assured softly, holding Momoi's hands as she sent a gentle squeeze.

"..and no. Miyazawa-san didn't do anything. Nothing happened, Sat-chan." Yume continued with a soothing smile. "I'm fine." she repeated.

After gazing through the brunette's honest limegreen orbs that has a strangely pacifying effects, Momoi calmed down. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..." her shoulders slumped forward.

The sight made Yume giggled a bit as she found it amusing. It made her happy that her friend is worried for her, but she didn't really appreciate said girl's death-grip that could really have brought upon her death.

The momentary silence after the commotion also made Yume realised that they had been on the receiving end of curious stares and murmurs from the students, and some passersby around. The fact hit her hard that she blushed and quickly pushed her gaze to the ground.

"S-Sat-chan.. L-Let's go somewhere else...!" Yume squeaked as she squeezed Momoi's hands rather roughly in her anxiety.

The pinkette took the clue almost immediately and nodded with a small smile before she pulled her friend towards the school buildings, ignoring the loud chatters behind them. They ran as fast as they feet could take them.

When the two girls finally find their peace in their empty classroom, they broke into fit of giggles before laughing together in harmony. They seem happy with each other's presence, just happy.

It looks silly to those who happen to witness them, but it's a moment of bliss for the two teens. Certainly, both girls are known to be level-headed, rational and calm-minded people who's unlikely to behave childishly.

However, things change as Yume finds 'companion' in Momoi, and vice versa. Things that they found silly or unworthy of doing turned fun and fulfilling in the presence of each other.

It's not the karaoke that the bunch of girls found so entertaining. It's not the game consoles that the guys found very interesting. It's the companies of the people they are with.

Singing in a karaoke box isn't as fun as with people you are happy and comfortable with, and so are with games. Having friends can be annoying with their prying gestures and meaningless conversations that gets absolutely nowhere.

But doesn't it always leaves a smile on your face when you returned home and recalled at how silly they were being?

Sure, it's not always happy times with laughters all the way, there are sorrows, lies and even betrayals. However, they **stay**. Whatever reason they may have, they stay despite what else they could be doing and who else they could be with.

It's like finally finding someone that completes your soul. That's how the two girls feel for each other. They have been waiting for so long, and they've finally met.

If the guys can have bro-mance and the girls worships them, why can't girls have sis-mance and the boys worship them the same way, as weird as the wording was?

* * *

Aomine Daiki is **sulking**. He is slurping his carton juice with loud noise as his brows are slanted along with angry glares. It's the period in school that he actually loves; lunch break, but he is still in a bad mood.

"...What happened to him..?" Yume asked warily, avoiding eye contact with the tanned teen as she questioned the childhood friend who sweat dropped and smiled sheepishly.

It's no big secret that rather than childhood-friends relationship, the two neighbours are more of a mother-and-child relationship. The frivolous son is just so reckless that he needs his same-aged mother to watch over him even at school.

To keep out said boy from troubles, the pinkette even took it upon herself to wake the guy every mornings for school, and tutored him for upcoming tests that he never bothers listening to.

It's just so normal for both of them that when Momoi _actually_ rushed to school as soon as she opened her eyes, passing out her regular duty, Aomine didn't wake up on time and had to stand on the hallways with two buckets filled with water just below the tips for him to hold, and a chalk-board eraser on top of his head to balance for 2 periods straight.

Aomine isn't in the teachers' best book with his tendencies to sleep on classes, forgetting homeworks, and even shirking class duties. So when an opportunity finally showed up, he got the well-deserved punishment, hard. And the news travelled fast, although it had missed Yume's delicate ears.

"I heard Godō-sensei was so happy that he skipped on his way to his next class." Akashi commented with a smirk as he watched the tanned teen twitched.

As Teikō is a school that favours talents and greatly rewards their students for having precious skills that helps the school's publicity and reputation, Aomine is given the beneficial treatment for his basketball talents, the sole reason he was accepted into Teikō other then his barely passing grades.

Simply said, he _never_ got proper punishment that could have potentially disturbed his basketball practices after school, until today when he was late for the very first time since school started.

"Oh... He wasn't that mad when he caught me eating either.." Murasakibara added, recalling how unusually smiley the oni-teacher was being when he caught him eating on his class.

"Godō-sensei's next class happened to be ours." Midorima informed with a smart-aleck, adjusting his glasses. Even he can see how joyful the usually strict teacher was that he practically bounced with happiness.

At this, Aomine crushed the empty carton juice in his hands, looking furious as he wordlessly stood from where he sat. By now, Yume have assumed the gist of what had happened.

While she is not near as smart as Akashi and Midorima, Yume can put what and what together after noticing how Momoi didn't come to school with Aomine like usual, the unusual happy mood from the punishment-loving teacher, and to top it off, the tanned teen's foul mood.

 _ **"Satsuki.."**_ Aomine hissed in a low and dark tone, looming over the flinching female as he gripped what used to be a carton juice in his hand.

Momoi started to cold-sweat. While Aomine is pretty carefree and laid-back, he is quite easily angered. It's normally settled peacefully since the boy would never do more than loud scoldings, but it would _thinned_ out her wallet to pacify the boy's fury.

And how is he being late her fault? Shouldn't Aomine be responsible for his own waking-up to school? Well, she **could** have told him she can't wake him up this morning when she usually does...

"...I'm sorry. Sat-chan was just worried for me.." The apology came from Yume, who boldly met Aomine's heated glare. "..I was caught up with... _something_ the day before. Sat-chan heard about it, and she rushed for me."

Yume didn't back down even when she knows she could possibly earn the boy's ire instead. "Please don't blame Sat-chan, Daiki-kun." she spoke clearly, not of pleading but firm tone. "..It's me." she finished weakly.

For a while, the brunette was locked in a staring competition with the tanned boy, neither willing to withdraw first, and the other boys looked on with interest as the girl was worried.

Finally, the other party conceded with a sigh of defeat. "..Got it... I'll forget it this time. You're Satsuki's friend, too, so I can't get worked up over that." Aomine looked away as he scratched his neck.

This earned Yume's immediate smile. "Thank you, Daiki-kun." she smiled sincerely as the tensions vanished from the air.

"...So, you okay?" Aomine eyed the girl hesitantly, looking awkward as Yume blinked innocently. "I'm asking if you're okay." he repeated with slight irritated tone.

Yume almost can't believe her ears, but nodded anyway. "Uh, yeah.. I'm okay..." she answered.

Aomine nodded slightly, turning his head away as he muttered incoherent words under his breath. Momoi swore she heard 'Good then..' or something along the line.

Momoi would have gaped if it's not for the fact that she knows her childhood friend will only deny his budding friendship if she did. She still can't believe that the proper and polite-mannered Yume would actually befriends the crude and mannerless brat like Aomine.

On the other hand, Akashi was more interested in the 'something' Yume claimed to be involved in, likely reluctantly on the day before and how Momoi reacted on it. He will get his answers later.

Midorima wanted to sigh at how ridiculous his school life turned out to be. He didn't plan to have this kind of school life, but now he actually finds them quite intriguing and enjoyable to be with. Not that he will ever admit.

And while Murasakibara couldn't care less of what is and what's not, he too feels satisfied with how things are right now. At least he's not bored since each of then are interesting and unique. He also hasn't got his treats from the brunette.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	18. Chapter 17 - An ounce of prevention is

Okay, so I've been busy with schools and whatnots. I won't be abandoning any of my stories, really. Hopefully, I'll be updating Rainbow Drops, then My Dignified Imouto. No promises there. This chapter is rather short, and mostly interactions between the characters, but the next chapter will finally be the test results, which is a one-week skip. Then it's let's go Gakuensai~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 17 - An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure**

Know yourself, know your enemy, and fear not the result of a hundred battles; is a notion _truer_ to Momoi Satsuki than any other (except perhaps a certain redhead).

Statistics don't lie, and combined with what she believes to be a woman's intuition, Momoi can predict things to come and follow through properly.

This time, the pinkette's target is Miyazawa Ayumi, who has made contact with her beloved bestfriend in what she perceived to be an unfriendly meeting.

The news and rumours surrounding the long black-haired first year aren't exactly the best. There are certainly some nice rumours coupled with the bad ones, but it's why this situation is the worst.

It's easy to determine the truth when only one type of rumours is spreading, but when it's all jumbled up, it's hard to tell the fact from the lies. To further back up her suspicion, Momoi has Akashi's warning. And _that_ speaks for the whole idea.

'This Miyazawa Ayumi... I, Momoi Satsuki, will personally research you in and out!' The pinkette's eyes burned with silent resolution. 'When I'm done with you I will have you 100% scanned!'

Aomine raised his brows at his childhood friend's antic. He is often the weird one, but even Momoi has times when she is out of sort. What was she even doing that early in the morning anyway? It's not like that the well-spoken Yume got in trouble. Or did she really?

"Speaking of which." Midorima began with a flick of his glasses. "I remember witnessing a commotion at the school gate this morning."

Under the greenhead's scrutinising stare, Momoi and Yume stilled involuntarily. Midorima frowned.

"Was it you two?" he asked in finality.

As everyone is aware, the prized shooter of the team is a punctual, strict-kind of person who believes that rules are there to be upheld. Tardiness is unacceptable, and thus he makes it a point to arrive at school 15 minutes before class started.

However, it doesn't take a genius to sidetrack the greenhead. Especially considering his competitive nature and unwillingness to admit his feelings to public.

"O-Oh, h-how's your studies going, Midorima-kun?" Yume stuttered slightly, her smile shaken but persuasive. She hopes to divert the flow of the conversation, before it reaches a certain President's ears, and it'll be too late by then.

Midorima don't disappoint. His eyes glinted with determination, reflected by the cylindrical glass he wears. "You are saying, Manai. I'm always prepared, and with Oha Asa's lucky item with me, I have nothing to fear." he flashed his - World Globe, proudly.

"That is to say, I won't lose to you, Manai." He stated with confidence, accompanied by Murasakibara's munching sounds in the background.

Yume sweatdropped. "A-Ahaha... I will do my best.." she managed a weak laugh. The day Midorima forgets his lucky item by his own volition is likely the day the world ends, and it's **not** even a joke.

On the side note, the brunette realised she hasn't been doing more self-studies other then her daily reviews. If she hopes to defeat Midorima's 2nd rank, she has more books to read.

"Are you going to challenge me again this time, Midorima?" Akashi slipped into the conversation smoothly, earning a heated glare from the superstitious librarian.

"Certainly, Akashi. I won't lose." Midorima replied with a bite. He meant every words he said. His rivalry with Yume momentarily thrown to the side as he gazed at his number one rival.

Akashi chuckled, seemingly amused. "You said the same thing last time, Midorima." he watched in satisfaction as the greenhead's brows twitched uncontrollably.

"Hmph." Midorima ended the conversation to preserve what pride he had left, knowing the more he barks, the less he has.

Amidst this, Yume can't help but wonder why the bet can't remain between Akashi and Midorima alone. The two certainly seem to be perfectly-matched in their competitive natures and are toe-to-toe with their intellects.

Why did Aomine have to insist to participate in this whole thing, then dragged her in with him, when the tanned boy already have troubles just to escape extra classes? It's only natural to sigh.

"I'm interested on how well, or how worse you will do on the tests based on your horrible aptitude test scores, if you can even call it that." The smart remarks were directed to the acknowledged-idiot of the group, and was successfully received.

Aomine waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'll pass." he assured. " _..barely._ But a pass is a pass. Enough for me." he yawned in boredom.

Although having foreseen this development, Momoi still sighed deeply. The boy is hopeless. The best she can do is making sure he didn't have to attend those extra classes.

"Mine-chin is right.. Studying is just troublesome.." a sounded agreement came from the childish giant. Murasakibara is stuffing his cheeks like squirrels for the upcoming winter.

"Well, Mu-kkun is different! You can still get decent grades!" Momoi puffed her reddened cheeks. She sighed. "..if Dai-chan has even a tiny fraction of your brain... how glad would I be...?" she muttered under her breath.

The trouble-hating giant doesn't study on regular basis, nor does he really pay attention to class lectures. That just goes to show that people learn at a different rate. Because Murasakibara stays in the top 50.

"I expect you'll not disappoint me, Murasakibara." Akashi stared meaningfully at the first year boy nearly twice his size, and managed to make the other party appears smaller instead.

The purplehead doesn't look happy, but complied with a quiet nod. A wise man doesn't court danger, unlike born idiots.

Yume smiled amiably. "Please try hard, Murasakibara-kun. I will put more orders for the maiubou and nerunerunerune candy you love so much." she tried to appeal to the sweets-loving giant.

Pure joy. Murasakibara's purple eyes lit up with pure joy, and it's in full-blast, not the usual half-lidded, disinterested and dull gaze. He even drools. "For real, Cashier-chin? _Twenty_ _boxes?_ " he affirmed.

'T-Twenty...' Yume sweatdropped internally. In normal circumstances, disaster would hit her paycheck if those twenty boxes goes unsold, but having secured a (certain) potential buyer, she wouldn't have to worry.

"M-Mm.. T-Twenty of them.." The girl confirmed with a slight smile, masking her bewilderment. Now to time the delivery date so the storage wouldn't be piled with those many boxes of sweets.

Midorima tried hard to restrain showing disgust on his face. What nutritions did the boy gain from junk treats such as that and grow his height? The world of DNA is deep.

"Okay. Then I will try hard! Anything for maiubou and nerunerunerune candies!" Murasakibara almost-sang, his eyes shone with determination.

'Hmm... Maybe I should do the same thing for Dai-chan? But the things he likes...' Momoi put on a sour expression, before glaring at her unsuspecting childhood friend. 'How am I supposed to promise something like _**that**_?!' she roared internally.

Akashi blinked with slight surprise. "You have quite a way with Murasakibara, Manai-san. I'm surprised." he sounded impressed.

Yume flinched slightly. "A-Ah.. It's nothing, really.." she paused as she stole a glance at the now-enthusiastic boy. "...I hope Murasakibara-kun learns my name soon..."

First impression lasts a lifetime, but Yume wouldn't want to be remembered as a cashier girl who helped a boy vying for his sweets. Cashier girl. That sounds _**so**_ wrong.

* * *

Sounds of stacked papers hitting the smooth table surface before a staple locked them in place echoed in the room belonging to the Student Council members.

"Is this all? I will submit the documents to Satou-sensei." Midorima brought the papers to his arms as he headed to the door.

"Please take care." Yume smiled as she see the male off while Akashi only nodded.

The brunette returned to her budgets reports from the clubs, as well as some budget proposals for upcoming clubs' and school's events. It's going to be busy, seeing as the Cultural Festival comes after the exams, then various sports clubs held their training camps following that.

With so many events on the queue, it's no wonder her desk is so packed with papers. It's a good thing that the one about the Cultural Festival is the Student Council's responsibilities as a whole, and not just hers.

"Did you meet Miyazawa Ayumi yesterday?" the sudden question stopped the girl's train of thoughts. Akashi smirked ever slightly.

Yume really had to wonder just how Momoi and Akashi got their informations, seeing how Kuroko was the only witness she is aware of. And he's unlikely to speak about it.

"U-Uh, yes.. I did.." she confirmed hesitantly. Yume can picture that smirk on his face without turning her head to look.

Akashi took a moment to reply. "Is that so." he sounded amused. "I wish you good luck, Manai-san. I expect the best solution you could offer the Choir Club as a member of the Student Council."

 _Translation: You will have troubles from now on, so make sure to get it done before it reached my ears._

"I will expect no less from you. As matters concerning budgets are your jobs, Manai-san." Akashi continued, ignoring Yume's still form.

 _Translation: Do it right. I won't hear complains._

Despite the fact that Akashi is seated in his and Yume in hers, it feels like he is way closer and just inches away from her face. Maybe it's how he carries his tone? And those translations above are _merely_ Yume's imaginations.

"Y-Yes.. I understand, Akashi-kun.." Yume replied weakly, lifting her gaze to meet the President's intimidating presence.

Akashi seems satisfied, he nodded. "For now, let's focus on the exams. I'm interested on this time's results." he ended the conversation, returning to his part of works.

First thing first, Yume will have to hit the books and submerged herself in them so she can prevail in her studies. It won't be difficult considering it's what she normally does before exams.

Before joining Student Council, she would never have to worry about not having time to study. Just how in the name of Heavens, do Akashi managed his 1st rank, Student Council President's works, while still active in the basketball club?

Teikō did have the 'No Clubs' rules for a period before exams, but that would mean all of the works associated with said clubs are to be done before the resting period begins.

Moreover, Midorima is no pushover. How in the world is Yume supposed to win against his nearly perfect scores? Especially in Chemistry and Biology he excelled at?

Seems like what she normally does wouldn't be enough if she is to defeat the guy. What is a girl to do?

* * *

"A way to beat Midorin?" Momoi repeated the words she just heard from her bestfriend.

The two girls, plus a boy on the back, are walking home together since there's no club for the whole week before exams. Today's Student Council meeting is also last before exams had finished.

"Mm.. I don't think studying like usual is enough, Sat-chan.. Do you have any good idea?" Yume asked with a hopeful tone.

Momoi took a while to think, and on the cue of Aomine yawning, an idea dawned on her. She grins widely. "Ne, Yuu-chan. Wouldn't it be easier if you know what questions to expect on the exams?" she winked suggestively.

"Eh..? Well, yes, but.." Yume backed away, thinking negatively. "...You _aren't_ thinking what I'm thinking, right, Sat-chan...?"

The pinkette only grinned wider. "Of course not! I know you're not one to cheat, Yuu-chan!" she then glanced backwards. "Dai-chan is a different case, though.."

Momoi sighed. "Anyway.. This is not cheating or anything like that." she explained, looking at the girl's limegreen orbs directly. "It's **skill**."

 _"Skill..?"_ Yume echoed in a murmur.

After countless trials and errors to ensure a certain childhood friend of her to successfully graduate primary, Momoi gained an ability to predict questions coming out on the exams based on the quizzes the teacher gave, with a certain degree of success rates. Call it a survival instinct.

"Mm! The baka there," she pointed at the tanned teen. "said it'll be lot easier if he can just study the questions in the exams. So, in some desperate situations, I pull this card out!" Momoi smiled proudly.

The brunette looks cautious. "...and you're telling me I should do this? I'm not exactly desperate.."

"I know! I won't tell you straight out, Yuu-chan." Momoi assured the girl. "I never did, not even to Dai-chan."

Yume is confused now. "Then how..?"

To answer her question, Momoi smirked before she pulled out a peach-coloured notebook, with a huge title headlining the cover, 'Satsuki's Notes' and 'TOP SECRET' label below it.

This note will later be known as Momoi Satsuki's secret weapon, and Aomine's effective method to avoid remedial and safely graduate middle school. And it will be a story for latter date.

* * *

Author's note:

So yeah, how is it?

Read and Reviews~


	19. Chapter 18 - The waters wear the stones

There will be a short trip before the Gakuensai, but not literally. I just feel like showing more interactions between the characters to form the bonds. Not much is known about Yume at this point, so I will be defining her as best as I can while not giving out early spoilers. About grammars, I'm trying to fix them, but yeah, it's not my mother language. Enjoy~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 18 - The waters wear the stones**

After a whole week of what Aomine referred to as _hellish_ and _tortuous_ , the exams period officially ended. The short time after the conclusion of the tests were probably the happiest moments for all students alive.

Some are looking forward to the results, some aren't really interested, while others had given up even before the tests started. It usually depends on how well you think you will do on the exams.

When the day finally arrives for the results to be posted, Yume decided to take a little detour to a place she hasn't visited for quite a while now before she meets up with the other by the school board.

"I haven't been there since I have lunch with Sat-chan and Daiki-kun.." Yume muttered softly, a happy smile decorating her face. No matter how troubling the two are, they are her important 'first' friends after all.

When she finally reached her destination, reliefs washed over her. In the time she's not here, no one else has found the place. She places her hand at the peculiar tree's bark. Yume can tell, because the terrains are undisturbed.

 ***Rustle* *Rustle***

From the bundle of leaves, Yume can see a golden-yellow tuft emerging out, the very same one she is _familiar_ with. To add to her guess, no one else in Teikō shares the same striking - and flashy, hair colour.

"Oh..." Kise muttered in slight surprise when he noticed Yume standing there. He smiles sheepishly. "Uh, _sorry_ , Manai-chan.."

Yume inclines her head to acknowledge the boy. "Kise-kun." she greeted. Then she noticed his rather disheveled appearances.

Noticing her line of gaze, Kise laughs shakily. "Ah, this?" he suddenly sighed. "..I was chased all over... My fangirls, you see.."

Being a famous model is great and all, what's with the designer's clothes he often receives for free and the satisfying pay check for a middle schooler. However. One can never underestimates the terror of fangirls.

The boy is famous for his good-looks, as Momoi had claimed and it seems like she wasn't exaggerating. Then Yume realised something out of context in the boy's speech. "Umm.. What are you saying sorry for, Kise-kun?" she asked curiously.

Kise's eyes widen a fraction before it softened. "O-Oh.. Remember that I said I won't tell anyone of this place?"

On her first day of school, Yume was on her way to her newly-found sanctuary when she accidentally led the boy into the place - by dropping her chopsticks pouch.

After noticing the distressed look on her face, Kise then promised not to tell anyone else about the place. Now, here he is.

Yume nods slowly. "I do remember that." she spoke softly, quietly urging Kise to continue.

"...and here I am.. When I'm supposed to keep this place a secret..." Kise answered in a dejected tone, riddled with guilt by the thought that he might just led his troops of fangirls into this place.

In all honesty, Kise _loves_ this place. There're trees for shades, the breeze feels cool and nice. It's peaceful and secluded. Best of all, no one would find him here. That's probably why his feet unconsciously took him to the place.

"I-I'll leave now, Manai-chan." Kise quickly added, turning his back on her to walk away from the place.

"W-Wait!" Yume called out, stopping Kise in his tracks. "Oh, uh.. I mean.." she stuttered. She wasn't planning to be this rash with her explanation.

She takes deep breaths to calm down, then Yume smiles at Kise. "..It's okay, Kise-kun. I don't mind." she finally said.

"I was just checking the place, since it's been a while. These days, I'm eating with... uhh.." Yume stopped there, feeling heat rushed to her cheeks. She looked on the ground.

"... _friends_ , on the school's rooftop." she finished, her face must be scarlet by now. Momoi and Aomine aside, Yume is not used to calling the rainbow group with that friendly term.

Yume then looked up, returning to meet the golden-yellow orbs. "So, it's okay. You can use the place, Kise-kun." she smiled gently.

Before Kise had any chance to voice his thoughts, Yume bowed slightly to excuse herself. "I'm leaving first, Kise-kun." she offered him a polite smile as she left the place.

What she doesn't realise is that the blond looks envious when she mentioned 'friends'. Eating together seems like fun.

* * *

"Ah! I found Yuu-chan!"

The familiar girly voice boomed from a distance, and pink is visible. Soon, Yume found her arms locked with Momoi's.

"Mou! Where have you been, Yuu-chan? I've been looking all over for you!" Momoi pouted adorably at her bestfriend.

Through this hide-and-seek, Momoi realised she doesn't know her bestfriend as well as her childhood friend. She had difficulties in guessing where the brunette might be, whereas she could find where her tanned male friend might be in mere minutes.

"We're supposed to meet up by the school board 5 minutes ago!" Momoi continued to pout. The plan was for her to get Aomine while Yume do her business for a short minute and meet up before the results are posted.

Yume laughs apologetically. "I'm sorry, Sat-chan.. I just got a little side-tracked." Then she looked around, when she noticed someone is _missing_.

"So, Sat-chan.." Yume began slowly, facing the girl. "..Where is Daiki-kun?"

All hell break loose as Momoi screamed at the top of her lungs, making Yume cringed at the vibrations on her eardrums.

"I was so focused on finding you, I actually forgot about Dai-chan!" Momoi yelled in exasperation, feeling like pulling her hair out.

The pink-haired girl is a smart, rational person, but it isn't rare that she loses track of things when she focused her mind on one thing. When she fall in loves, perhaps the only person in her vision would only be that special person.

They are starting to attract gazes, so Yume sweat dropped and quickly calmed Momoi. "S-Sat-chan..! People are staring..!" she spoke in a hushed tone.

Momoi quieted down, but then teared up. "B-But!" she started to protest. "Dai-chan is..."

"SATSUKI! You found her?"

Dark blue is now visible in the distance, an annoyed look plastered on his face. He sighed as he slowly made his way to the two girls who had perked up at his voice - especially Momoi, who almost sprouted cat ears.

"Dai-chan!" Momoi exclaimed happily. Her eyes lit up with joy.

While Yume greeted him less enthusiastically. "Daiki-kun." she smiled a bit relieved at his appearance.

When Aomine reached them, the first thing he did is to lightly knock his fist on the pinkette's head. "You idiot. You should really fix that habit of charging in a straight line like a bull, Satsuki." he scolded, but he doesn't look angry, more like worried.

Momoi puffed her reddened cheeks, touching where Aomine just nudge her. "What bull?! And I'm not an idiot, mind you!" she retorted angrily.

"Oh? Then let's see." Aomine smirked teasingly. "How many dustbins do you think you knocked over on your run here?" he challenged.

The pinkette flinched at this, a look of hesitation and disbelief on her face. Aomine huffed. "Thanks to that, I got here late." he scowled.

"Sat-chan, Daiki-kun.." Yume stepped between the two, she looked frantic. "Please calm down, both of you..!" she worriedly eyed the two whose still in a heated stare-down.

Honestly, why are they both acting like kids? She sighed inwardly. "Sat-chan.. Daiki-kun is just worried about you running off on your own..." Yume tried to comfort the girl.

"..and Daiki-kun... You could have said it more gently, you know? Sat-chan is a girl, be more delicate.." Yume continued, now looking at the boy.

What she doesn't know, is that Yume had set off the bomb's fuse as both teens began to blush furiously and barked at the wrong tree.

 **"I WASN'T WORRIED!"**

 **"YUU-CHAN!"**

Aomine glares at the brunette, who flinched and backed away from the two advancing teens. "It's because I had to clean up after her mess!" he defended himself with a red face, which is hardly noticeable due to his dark skin colour.

"That's right! Dai-chan is just a childhood friend!" Momoi voiced her agreement loudly, which is rather off-tracked. Her cheeks tinted in pinkish colour.

Now Yume is intimidated. The heavy stares coupled with the unconvincing, childish arguments. But she decided not to pursue it further. The stares are hurting her, back and front.

"..Okay.. I understand..." Yume whispered out, her hands in front of her chest, acting as shields. "Can we go now? _Please?_ " she tried asking in her quietest voice.

After what feel like forever, the childhood friends pair finally backed down, to the relief of their newest friend addition. Really, her two friends are livening her school life, in a way she has never imagined before.

If two are this noisy and handful, what will her life be when she has the complete rainbow group? Yume can't help but shudder at the thought.

* * *

Murmurs filled the area as students are crowding around the school board. Of course, Akashi and Midorima are already there. Murasakibara probably tagged along, or dragged there.

Even from this distance, Yume can make out the satisfied smile on his face. His ruby eyes are dancing with confidence. Murasakibara had sparkles in his half-lidded amethyst eyes, he seems excited.

But Midorima looks green in the face. Not the hair, nor the eyes. It's _his_ face.

* * *

 **Teikō Junior High 1st Term Examination Results**

 **1st Year (Out of 312 Students)**

 **1st Akashi Seijūrō**

 **2nd Manai Yume**

 **3rd Midorima Shintarō**

 **4th Momoi Satsuki**

 **5th Matsumoto Takeshi**

 **...**

 **...**

 **23rd Murasakibara Atsushi**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **207th Aomine Daiki**

 **...**

 **...**

* * *

The first one to react is Momoi, who jumps and squeals in joy while glomping her friend. "Congrats, Yuu-chan! You got **2nd**!" she continued to giggle.

"Yosha! You beat Midorima, Yume!" Aomine cheered next. He actually looks happier about her grades than his own.

Teikō has rules in which the 100 students that placed worst on their year are to be subjected to extra classes every Saturdays for 3 months - Aomine _barely_ escaped.

Yume smiles, her face shining with pride and happiness. "Mm! Thanks a lot, Sat-chan, Daiki-kun." she offered her gratitude.

"Congratulations, Manai-san. I must say, I'm impressed you managed to beat Midorima." Akashi smiled congratulatingly, while the male in question twitched.

"Hmm? Cashier-chin won?" Murasakibara trailed off, glancing at the board one more time.

"Ah. Cashier-chin's name is Manai Yume? So you beat Mido-chin." he continued to rub salt in the boy's wounded pride.

The brunette smiles sheepishly, feeling shy at her achievement. "Mm.. Thank you, Akashi-kun, Murasakibara-kun.."

The happiest person about the grades is probably Aomine, for a different reason. He grins triumphantly. "Guess that means _you're_ the idiot, Midorima."

The greenhead jerked, his glare murderous. However, he couldn't get a word out.

"Idiot, idiot! Midorima is an idiot~!" Aomine sing-sang rhythmically. He ridicules the other male to his fill, looking absolutely satisfied.

Midorima shakes with rage, but he did lose the bet. So while he is greatly bothered by the tanned teen's antics, he swallowed it down.

"Haha..." Yume laughed weakly as the two boys exchange glares; insults in Aomine's case. She won the bet, but she feels like Aomine is way happier than she is.

"Manai." Midorima turned to face the brunette who blinked in surprise, his lips in a tight line. He adjusted his glasses. "It's your win this time. Congratulations."

Midorima is not happy with his loss, of course. But he accepts her victory fair and square. His loss only means that Yume put in more efforts than him, and there are more he could do.

Yume smiles at this. "Thank you, Midorima-kun. But I still couldn't beat you in Chemistry and Biology. You are really good, Midorima-kun." she compliments him.

"Of course." Midorima replied almost immediately, tapping his glasses proudly. "I won't lose even to Akashi in those subjects."

When he said he won't lose though, that _doesn't_ mean he wins either. Because it's always a tie, that or Akashi wins by a point.

Akashi smirks at this. "I do remember there are times when I won by a point, Midorima?"

The greenhead twitched at this, but proceed to divert the conversation without properly confirming Akashi's statement. "If I may ask, Manai. Can I inquire your study methods?"

"Study methods?" Yume repeated with a blink of her eyes. "..I do review lessons every day after school, and of course I study more before exams."

Then she smiles meaningfully, while glancing at her pink-haired bestfriend. "..but this time. I think Sat-chan's **notes** help out a lot."

Midorima's eyes glisten at that. Then Yume continued. "Daiki-kun also uses them from time to time, including this time."

"Is that true, Momoi?" Midorima questioned in a hasty tone, his eyes wide. Momoi confirms this with a smiley nod. "I see.." he trailed off.

In his mind, there's no doubt that by the time the next exams come around, Momoi's notes would be the first thing Midorima looked for.

"Anyway.." Murasakibara began impatiently. He beamed at Yume. "Cashier-chin, what about my sweets?" he asked giddily.

Murasakibara did make it to the top 30, and he is ranked **23rd**. He tried his best since there're sweets on the line this time, and he's been drooling in his sleep for that day.

"Oh.. Now that you mentioned it. You tried your best, Murasakibara-kun. You did good." Yume smiled at him proudly, further inflating his joy.

"About the sweets.. They should have arrived this morning." Yume recalled the order she placed for twenty boxes of maiubou and nerunerunerune candies.

Coincidence it may be, but today she's working there. "Do you remember that convenience store we met before, Murasakibara-kun?" she asked him, earning an eager nod.

"Then let's meet there after school." Yume smiled sweetly. "You have the basketball club's meeting first, right? I will have your orders ready by then."

Murasakibara nods immediately, repeatedly bouncing his head up and down. "Okay! I'll see you there, Cashier-chin!"

"Oh. And Murasakibara-kun, my name is..." Yume was about to continue, but the male had turned his back on her, making his way with long strides. _"...Manai Yume.."_

While Yume sighed and lamented the fact that she remains 'Cashier-chin' to Murasakibara, she doesn't notice the glances exchanged by the teens around her.

This time, Yume might just received more than she expects. As she has personally invited a potentially troubling person, who might just attracts more on his way.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_


	20. Chapter 19 - It is the unexpected that

Thanks for the reviews! About Kuroko, his admission to the 1st string will be after the Gakuensai. More interactions on this chapter and the next. Well, what can I say? i just love writing about Yume and her interactions with the Generation of Miracles, it's fun. Yeah, the pace is painfully slow, I'm aware of that. So, I'll definitely move on with the story after the next chapter, and maybe the chapter after that, to the Gakuensai, then finally Second years arc.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 19 - It is the unexpected that always happens**

Various people came by the convenience store, from students to businessmen, housewives and even models at times.

Having worked in this line of business for quite a time, Yume had met many kind of people and she has never been bothered much by any of them.

However, fate indeed has a different idea for her as troubles in the form of her dearest 'friends' are thrown into the mix.

"Hmm? Murasakibara-kun! _You're he—"_ her joyful tone broke just then as she witnessed four other figures coming in after the purple giant.

 _"—re..."_ Yume trailed in disbelief. As before her are Momoi, Aomine, Midorima, and even Akashi to top it off.

What in the name of...? Momoi and Aomine aside, why is Midorima and Akashi here? They are the last two people she expects to be here.

"Yuu-chan! How's work? I'm free today, so let's hang out after this!" Momoi chirped jovially, making her way towards the cashier where Yume is.

"Yume..! Have anything nice here? Some snacks would be good." Aomine grinned as he checked the shelves in the store. He secretly hopes to have a peek at certain magazines on the bookshelf.

"I have heard that a rare keychain is being sold in this area, do you have it, Manai?" Midorima asked as he too, browsed around the store for a specific keychain.

"Hmm.. There're quite a range of items I don't often see in other convenience stores." Akashi noted as he looked around the items displayed on the shelves.

"Cashier-chin! Sweets!" Murasakibara demanded, his huge stature bended as he crouched to Yume's eye level, his eyes sparkling.

All those voices, at about the same time, fired one after another. It's a good thing they are the only customers she has right now.

Momoi stifles her giggles, smiling sweetly at her giant friend. "Mu-kkun really loves maiubou and nerunerunerune candies, eh? Isn't it a good thing Yuu-chan can help your order them?"

The sweets that Murasakibara loves are popular with children, especially the nerunerunerune candies, that have unique properties as it changes colour when mixed.

Due to this reason, younger children who are let out of school earlier than the other students often deprive the nearby store of said sweets. Which led to Yume's first meeting with the purple giant, who was sulking since he thought there's no more left.

Yume sighed deeply. Her 'friends' had finally decided to invade her work place, and she is now acting as Murasakibara's personal sweets' supplier. "Please wait a moment." she told the purplehead as she turned to the storage.

The small storage is filled with the newly-arrived twenty boxes of sweets that Yume doubts she could reach the other goods. She needs to dispose of them, quick. By dispose, of course it means to move it to the buyer's hands.

The boxes aren't heavy, and Yume can lift 2 of them at once. She could have done 3, but then her vision will be obstructed, and she doesn't want a repeat of what happened back in the bookstore where she bumps into the customer.

 ***Thud***

"Here's the first 2, there're 18 more boxes, so please wait, Murasakibara-kun." Yume told him with a slight smile before she returned to the storage.

It takes about a minute for Yume to move all the boxes into the store, and Momoi applauds her strength. She offered to help, and also dragged Aomine into it, but Yume refused the offer and said she'll be fine alone.

In fact, Momoi is astonished at the weights her bestfriend can carry with her petite stature. She herself has done some lifting since the club demands strength and energy.

"Fiuh.." Yume huffed slightly, getting her job well done. She turned and smiled at her customer. "Here's all twenty boxes of maiubou and nerunerunerune candies, Murasakibara-kun."

Twenty boxes of sweets are neatly stacked, and one can now see the ridiculous amount it is for one person to eat. If possible, Murasakibara's eyes sparkle even more, his drool visible. Rivalling his sparkling eyes is Momoi, who is in awe of Yume.

His tireless anticipation makes Yume sweat dropped. How is his wallet going to pay for these? "Oh, right. I ordered a huge amount this time, so the supplier gave us a significant discount." she informed the purple giant who looks like he's in his own world.

"I told the manager that you're the sole buyer of these, so I received permission to sell them to you for a cheaper price than usual." Yume smiled, more to herself. She honestly wishes the boy won't go broke with his constant splurges on treats.

Apparently the news manages to make its way to Murasakibara's ears, and he looks at Yume like she's his saviour. He can even see that holy light around her.

"Lucky you, Mu-kkun!" Momoi smiled at the boy, who is indeed delighted.

"That will be **¥21800** , Murasakibara-kun. Thank you for your patronage." Yume took the **¥10,000** bills Murasakibara gave her and returned the correct amount.

With the sales completed, the storage now has some spaces, and as usual, Murasakibara receives some freebies as a bonus for his purchases. He spends lots of his allowance on snacks whenever he came to the store.

"Excuse me for asking, but are you allowed to do that, Manai-san?" Akashi, having finished his tour around the store approached the counter curiously.

His sudden appearance makes Yume fidgets, she still feels uncomfortable around Akashi. It seems like it'll take a lot more to get used to him. "Ah, about the discount?" she asked as he nods.

"I have quite a lot of working experiences, so the manager said he trusts my decision." Yume smiled sheepishly, trying to stay humble.

When it comes to works such as this, Yume is a veteran already. She helped out a lot back at her hometown. Back then, most of them are volunteer works, just to earn experiences in her reviews.

"Hmm..." Akashi seems impressed, his ruby orbs staring straight into her limegreen eyes, unnerving her a bit. He turned to the shelves. "Do you also handle the ordering and display of the items?"

Yume hesitates to answer, so she does a weak nod instead. Her cheeks are slightly pink. This caused Akashi to look at her with respect. "You're so capable for someone so young, Manai-san." he praised her sincerely.

'...Isn't that _the pot calling the kettle black_ , Akashi-kun?' is what crossed her mind. Of course, Yume didn't say that, she smiles instead.

A bag of potato chips are placed on her counter, and Yume sees that it's Midorima's. He quietly takes out his wallet as he waits for her to respond.

"Ah? Midorin is buying something, too? I wonder if I should get something.." Momoi pursed her lips in thought as she mused to herself.

"1 Yukino Potato chips, natural red beans flavour. That will be **¥235**." Yume repeated the purchase and took the coins Midorima put on the counter, which is the exact amount.

Before Yume could put it into the plastic bag however, a hand snatched it away from her. "What's this? _Red beans flavour?"_ Aomine's face twisted with disgust.

"What the hell is with your weird taste in snacks?" He arched his brow at the greenhead, holding the bag up with one hand like it's something bad.

An irk mark appeared on Midorima's temple. He takes offense of Aomine's question and snatches back his newly-bought snacks angrily.

Meanwhile, Murasakibara perks up at the mention of snacks, and immediately shifts his gaze from the boxes to the chips on the greenhead's hands.

"Eh? What's that Mido-chin? Is it good? Can I try some?" Murasakibara eyed the chips, hoping he can get a taste.

Feeling the predator-ly gaze on his snacks, Midorima immediately put it into the plastic bag Yume offered. He glares at him. "Buy your own, Murasakibara. And you have had enough with those twenty boxes!" he reprimanded him sternly.

Seriously, what middle-schooler spends his allowance on twenty boxes of sweets? His financial management skill is horrible. How is he going to survive?

The rejection left the giant disappointed, but he decided to be satisfied with his sweets for now. Beside, he can always buy it tomorrow.

"Cashier-chin, is that potato chips new?" Murasakibara questioned the brunette with his half-lidded eyes. He had never seen it before, which is weird considering that's where most of his allowances went to.

Yume mentally face faulted when she heard that weird nickname still in use, and here she was hoping he would remember her name on his own accord after those twenty boxes of sweets.

She sighed. "..No, it's not new actually. We just rarely stocks it, it's even harder to find in other convenience stores."

"Eh? Why so, Yuu-chan?" Momoi was the the one to ask this time, the others also look curious as to what her reasoning is.

Then again, with the flavour natural red beans for potato chips, the answer is pretty much out in the open. Like, seriously? What _is_ the producer thinking?

With all the questions, Yume honestly feels like she's on a tour with kindergarteners, who's on a visit to convenience store for learning purposes.

"There's not many customers who buy it." Yume finally answered, sighing slightly. "The flavour is a bit... uh, _unique_.." she settled for a nicer word, not wanting Midorima's glare on her.

Aomine raises his brow at this. "So why do you still stock them?" he might be an idiot, but if it doesn't sell, why continue to stock it? Even he understands that logic.

"This is surprising. Of all us here, I didn't expect you would be the one to ask that question, Aomine." Akashi expressed his slight surprise, which is mutually shared by the rest of the group.

That irks Aomine, but before he can lash out, Yume had replied. "It's true that there's not many consumers, but those who likes it are quite the die-hard ones.."

"Out of all the items we sell here, these potato chips always sold out before its due time. There's no leftover, which is rare even for the more popular items." Yume explained further.

With no loss incurred from the overtimed-shelf life, add to it the slightly more beneficial profit margin, and lastly the short-period of sales, it's a winning product indeed.

"...I see. That's interesting." Akashi nodded in understanding, his fingers circling his chin. He then looked up and smiled at the brunette. "You'll do well in business, Manai-san."

Every praises Yume receives from the redhead somehow makes her uneasy. She knows he means well, but it's like she can picture her increasing workloads to match up his rising expectations.

* * *

After all of them made their purchases, Momoi finally has the time to talk to Yume about her plans. "Ne, Yuu-chan?" she hummed joyfully.

"Hmm? What is it, Sat-chan?" Yume replied while not taking her eyes off the screen, she is reviewing the store inventories.

"Can we go somewhere after this? What time will you be done with work?" Momoi asked again, her tone hopeful and adorable.

Thinking it's not a bad idea to relax after exams, Yume slowly turned her gaze towards the clock on the wall. It reads 16.50 in the afternoon.

"It's 10 more minutes to 5, Sat-chan. Sure, I'll go with you." Yume accepted the invitation with a smile, earning her a happy squeal from the pinkette.

Aomine huffed, sporting a bored expression. "Guess we'll wait for you. Let's grab something to eat, okay?" he suggested, feeling the incoming rumbles on his stomach.

"Eh? Food?" Murasakibara regained his vigour at the mentioned of food. "Can I go, too?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"With _those_ baggages? Hell no." Aomine replied for the three of them. Those boxes are going to be a real pain in the ass if he comes along.

'..Maybe next time I'll send them to his house instead..' Yume made a mental note to herself. She doesn't mind his constant orders, she's just worried whether his allowance could afford it.

That, and if his teeth will be fine after consuming so much sugars. If she tells him how harmful they are, will Murasakibara heed her? Or maybe since those sweets disappeared in matter of seconds into his stomach, the sugars won't stay long enough to cause his teeth harm after all?

Murasakibara's monstrous appetite just defies logic. Continuously hanging out with these group might not do well to her rational mind.

"I'll call Take-chin and get him bring them home. Can I go then?" Murasakibara continued with his persuasion, not wanting to be left out the eating.

"Ah! Takeshi-san as in Mu-kkun's brother, right? Okay, you can go with us then! The more the merrier!" Momoi chirped happily. She loves it when they are all together.

Momoi then turned to Yume with one her brightest smiles. "It's fine, isn't it, Yuu-chan?" she asked with a smile the brunette can't refuse.

To add to that, there's the kira-kira attack from Murasakibara, giving his puppy-eyes in full blast. "...Of course." Yume replied, curving the edge of her lips into a smile with tremendous efforts.

The purple giant is elated, and wastes no time to dial someone on his phone, likely the 'Take-chin' he was speaking of before. Momoi seems to know the person, but it's Momoi, so there's no surprise there.

Aomine doesn't mind the addition of Murasakibara if he leaves out the boxes, but then he realises the boy can out-eat a restaurant. He better has enough on after splurging like he just did.

"Hmm. Maybe I should go along with you." that unexpectedly came from Akashi, who appears deep in thoughts.

This addition, Yume **whole-heartedly** refused. No way she is going out with a person who can make her hair stands all day. She masks her refusal well, but a flash of panic crossed her limegreen eyes.

That's enough for Akashi to notice, and he smirks. "I'll go with you." he sounded amused but certain of his choice.

With that, her whole world comes crashing down on Yume. She knows that the redhead saw her reaction, and decided based on that. It's official; Akashi is a sadist.

That annoying smirk never left his lips until he picks his phone to make a call. Middle-schoolers these days already having phones in their disposal, rich bastards.

If she is to go out with these group of people to some public areas, then Yume might collapse first from all the pressuring stares. Seeing she can no longer escape, perhaps it'd be better if she's in her comfort zone.

"Then I'll be going fir—" Midorima tried to turn and leave before he got dragged into a ridiculous outing against his will. Keyword: tried.

"I have a suggestion. Since we are large in numbers, do you mind having dinner at my place instead?" Yume suggested with a weak smile from behind the counter. "We need to get some groceries, though.."

 _Manai's home._ That stopped Midorima's feet from moving. If he is to get a peek at her study methods, then it's the perfect chance. He quickly turned back to Yume, his glasses glinting. "I'm coming as well, Manai."

With that, the attendance is complete and no one is missing out. All with interest of their own.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, the Generation of Miracles shopping for groceries! Will it be another trouble for Yume?_


	21. Chapter 20 - Too many cooks spoil the

It's earlier than scheduled since I'm also interested in writing more interactions! This is also partly due to the many reviews, thanks a whole lot about that! Yume is getting closer with the Generation of Miracles, and there's tiny revelation in this chapter and the next! As promised, next chapter is the last one before the Gakuensai. It will also be when Yume reunite with Kuroko! The gears are turning~!

 _ **To Guest 97:**_ First, I'd like to thank you for the support! This story will be more friendship-oriented, so the crushes might not be so clear. As for Yume's past, it will unravel bit by bit as the story progresses. Highschool, eh? I'm not sure actually, it's either yes or no at this moment / hha, will it please you if I say yes?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 20 - Too many cooks spoil the broth**

About 5 minutes towards the end of her shift, the next part-timer, Ichikawa Toshio, comes in to the store. He's a 2nd year university student who lives nearby and takes the night-shift after Yume's working period.

"I'll replace you, Yume-chan. You can go with your friends." Ichikawa smiled like the mature adult he is, now having changed to his working attire.

In terms of professionalism though, Yume is not losing. "Thank you for your offer, Ichikawa-san, but I'm not off the clock until 5 more minutes. Please let me stay."

Ichikawa is used to this side of the brunette, who won't back down when it involves things she believes should be done properly. He admires for this, despite being younger, she knows her responsibilities and does them well.

Finally, after 5 minutes had passed, Yume and the rainbow group step out of the store, each holding a blue treat in hand. It's the Gori-Gori popsicles, cheap and thus within her budget, also perfect for a refreshment with the heat starting to set in.

"Thanks for this, Yuu-chan!" Momoi chirped as she took a nibble out of her blue popsicle, she loves it.

Yume smiles at this as she nibbles on her own popsicle. "You're welcome, Sat-chan. It's a small celebration for completing the exams."

"Man! This is perfect! Summer is coming soon, eh?" Aomine took a large bite of his popsicle, shivering slightly at the cold numbing feeling.

Murasakibara had finished his popsicle in one sitting, as in one mouthful and it's gone. He's now eating chips from his snacks provision he stocked on the day. He left the sweets he just ordered on the store for his brother to pick up later on, Ichikawa has agreed to watch it for him.

Midorima is eating his cold treat slowly, without making much noise like the tanned teen. He had thank the brunette for the treat, and while he doesn't make that joyful expression, he is happy with his popsicle.

Much like Midorima, Akashi is also eating without much noise. He even had that graceful air from eating a mere popsicle. Yume wouldn't say it, but the redhead actually looks kind of _cute_ with a popsicle in hand, and less intimidating.

"Yuu-chan, I'd love to go to your apartment, but is it really okay if we barge into your home like this?" Momoi asked worriedly, not wanting to disturb her friend's privacy.

It's this side of Momoi that Yume likes, her kind, caring nature. It's probably why she can't leave her childhood friend on his own. "Really, it's fine, Sat-chan." she smiled assuringly.

'..I just didn't want to attract attention that we'd be sure to get if we go to a public place with this group of people..' Yume sweat dropped inwardly. She can picture the nightmare of the happening, people' stares from all sides.

Even the mere thought of it can make her shudder. Yume wouldn't want to be in the middle of it. With big eaters like Murasakibara and Aomine in tow, a charismatic yet frightening redhead, a firm Oha Asa's believer, and finally the dream girl of all men. Yes, she _**wouldn't**_ want to be caught dead with them.

No matter how eventful it'd be with the colourful group in her apartment, at least she'll be able to spare herself from public's staring. It's also in her own comfort zone, which makes her apartment the better choice.

The supermarket's automatic doors slide open, and soon Yume regrets forgetting to consider the attention they'd still get when shopping for groceries. Some girls and boys alike are blushing, even some middle-aged housewives are staring. Truly, the rainbow gang is **not** to be underestimated.

"What are you planning to make, Manai-san?" Akashi asked as he followed after the brunette. He is not familiar with the place, and he figured following her would be best.

As for the others; Aomine went somewhere after saying something about meats, Murasakibara immediately headed to the sweets' section, Momoi was talking about picking out ingredients for her special dish, and Midorima is moving along with Akashi and Yume.

"I'm thinking about making a soup, a meat dish Daiki-kun likes, pasta for Murasakibara-kun, a vegetable dish, and probably few others." Yume answered while surveying the items around her.

At the word 'soup', Midorima's glasses glinted. "Manai, if you're thinking about soup, make it _red beans soup_."

"I don't think so, Midorima. Certainly, _tofu soup_ would be a better choice." Akashi argued with a smile, making the greenhead jolt.

As the two boys argue, Yume holds the sigh she wants to release. Since they are her guests, it's normal to make dinner according to their wishes, but they are quite blatant about it.

"Um.. Akashi-kun? Midorima-kun? Can we settle this with rock-paper-scissor?" Yume decided to step in before they attracted more eyes.

Akashi and Midorima nods at the suggestion, and proceed for a round of rock-paper-scissor. The winner? When has Midorima won over Akashi?

"Okay, _tofu soup_ it is." Yume concluded with a nod after seeing the result.

Akashi is smirking, satisfied, while Midorima paled. He lost yet again, and worse, he lost the right to choose the soup dish!

Ignoring the two teens behind her, Yume starts to pick what she needs for tofu soup. She first picks the indispensable tofu, and then she reaches for the seaweed.

"Manai-san."

The voice startled her that Yume almost dropped the bag of seaweed in her hand. "What is it, Akashi-kun?" she asked in confusion as the redhead is frowning.

" _That_. What are you planning to use _that_ for?" Akashi pointed at the bag in her hand.

Yume blinks. "This? For the tofu soup?" she questioned instead, bewildered.

"Let's not use that." Akashi smiled this time, a smile that almost looks commercial.

This confused Yume even more, and against her better judgement, she pursues the subject. "Eh? But I always use seaweed in tofu soup.." she muttered.

 _ **"Leave it."**_ the smile didn't leave his face, yet the air around him darkens and turns menacing. It's an order she can't disobey.

Wordlessly, Yume put back the seaweed, and returns to her other groceries. She doesn't want to stay with the redhead anymore, so she turns her back on him and quickly walks off to the meat section.

"Oh, Yume! Get _this_ , _this_ , and _this_!" Aomine grinned as he continued to put meat after meat into her basket.

She knows of the boy's obsession with meat dishes, but boy, he sure eats a lot. "Err.. What do you want to eat, Daiki-kun?"

"Meats!" was his short answer.

"Teriyaki burger is best, so that'd be awesome!" Aomine added before piling the basket with more meats.

It's too much, but Yume lost the chance to tell him it's more than enough. Thankfully, a familiar pinkette appeared then.

"Dai-chan! That's too much! Put them back!" Momoi chided her childhood friend, who clicked his tongue but sluggishly returned the items.

Satisfied, Momoi nods before facing Yume with a jovial grin, some goods on her arms. "Yuu-chan! I'm getting these to cook my _special dish_!" she chirped, while the brunette sweat dropped.

 _ **"Your what?!"**_ Aomine squawked in horror, dropping the meat he's returning to the rack. "Satsuki, put them back. PUT THEM BACK RIGHT NOW!" he roared, scaring the girl as she back-stepped.

Momoi almost drops the things she's cradling at the boy's yell, but she's not about to back down. "What?! Why, Dai-chan?!" she shouted.

Before she or Yume could say anything more, Aomine pushed the pinkette back to where she came from. "NO REASON, JUST PUT THEM BACK!" he yelled as he pushed her from the scene and the basket Yume is holding.

The most quiet is probably Murasakibara, who only rejoins the group after he finished his haul for sweets. His wallet honestly knows no bound as far as sweets is concerned. Hopefully, his teeth fares better.

All in all, it was a disastrous grocery shopping. The worst and noisiest Yume ever went on. By the the end of the trip, she is physically and mentally exhausted. It's like she just climbed Mount Fuji in one walk.

Well, that's what she says, but perhaps it might not be so bad. Because it's been a long time since she goes on grocery shopping with someone else.

* * *

 _"Yume, will you help Mom carry half of these?" a woman smiled as she offered a small plastic bag of groceries._

 _The little girl nodded eagerly as she took the plastic bag. "Mm! Yume will help, Mom!"_

 _"What are you cooking tonight, Mom?" the girl asked her mother, their hands connected._

 _The mother smiled at her daughter. "What do Yume wants? Mom will cook whatever Yume wants to eat."_

 _The girl laughed in glee. "Really? Then Yume wants to eat curry rice!"_

* * *

"Ne, Yuu-chan, where do you live?"

"Yuu-chan?" Momoi pursed her lips and leaned her face close to her friend.

When her limegreen clashed with peach, Yume finally returned from her reverie. "A-Ah. It's this way." she pointed to a road and lead them.

Momoi arches her brow at this, but she shakes it off. It isn't unusual for people to daze off at times, and if it's something bad, Yume will tell her about it.

After a short walk, the group stopped at a quite luxurious building, with approximately 15 floors located in a quiet and peaceful area with a small park by the side. It spells expensive.

"You really live here..?" Aomine murmured in disbelief as he stood before the building which is more than ten times his house.

He is not alone as Momoi, Midorima, Murasakibara and even Akashi give Yume the confused look. She could only smile sheepishly as she led them in.

The interiors of the building match its extravagant appearance, and the lobby alone is huge, complete with some lounges for guests and public discussions. When the other teenagers are taking in their surrounding, Yume quietly excused herself to check on her mailbox.

 _'Let's learn English!, Chinese Food Delivery, Grand Opening! New Cafe in Town!, To: Manai Yume | From: Manai Ryūsuke and Manai Kyōko.'_

'There's a letter from Oba-chan and Ojii-chan. Is this about summer break?' Yume picked up the letter and the rest of the flyers and put them into her bag.

Yume closed her empty mailbox with a heavy heart, a wry smile formed on her lips. 'How much longer do I have to wait?' she felt her heart clenched.

It's been a year since she hasn't received any news. Why? What happened? Yume can't help but question. However, as if questioning the depth of the seas, there's no answer.

"Yume! Hurry up! I'm hungry!" Aomine called loudly from the lobby.

"I'm coming!" Yume quickly replied and returned to her friends, escorting them up the lift and stopped at 10th floor.

The floor is fully-carpeted, and as soon as they stepped out the lift, the road splits up into two, one to the right and one to the left. In each side, there's a glass door separating the elevator's area and the residential's area.

"This way." Yume turned left, and placed a card in the scanner on the glass door.

After the card is verified, the lock is open and the group finally arrived at a single door right after the glass door. In this floor, there're only two flats in total, one on each side.

This time, Yume inserted her key and turned it to unlock her apartment. "Please come in. I hope you all can fit in." she smiled shyly as she pushed the door for them to enter.

 **"W. O. A. H."**

The apartment is clean and tidy, as soon as the door opened they can see the front area with shoes rack and straight to the spacious living room with three black-leathered sofas; two smaller sizes in each side, and a bigger one in the between; and a wooden table with a glass surface in the middle.

Behind the large sofa is the balcony, and separating the living room and the kitchen is a long table. The first floor has a guest bathroom and a storage room under the stairs. The stairs are between the kitchen and the living room.

Up in the second floor is four bedrooms; one master room and three children's rooms. There's also a medium-sized lounge with cushions and TV. Lastly, there's a study room.

"This is _awesome_!" Aomine cheered as he left his shoes scattered in the porch and went to the living room, glancing around eagerly.

Midorima glares at the boy. "Mind your manners, Aomine." he scolded.

Honestly, Aomine is just so irresponsible, and he's being impolite in someone else's home. Midorima just can't get along with that basketball-junkie. Though he has to say, he hadn't think that Yume lives in such a wealthy accomodation.

"This room is HUGE enough for elephant to roam around! It's more than enough!" Aomine noted with glee, he's hopping on his feet.

For a huge corporation heir, this size of apartment doesn't faze Akashi. However, it does surprise him considering the brunette lives here. If memory serves him right, the girl is on her own in Tokyo.

"Uwah. I didn't know Cashier-chin is rich." Murasakibara commented with his mouth open, some chips on his lips.

Momoi is also in awe, she didn't expect the brunette to live in this luxurious apartment. For one, Yume lives alone. She said so herself when she asked her about cooking. And there's also..

"Na, Yume. Why do you work part-times with this kind of apartment?" Aomine voiced his confusion, raising his brow at the girl who is still by the door.

Yume flinched at that. She avoids anyone's gaze and remains quiet. That's when everyone knows that the tanned teen was being careless with his mouth. Even the dense Murasakibara realised that Aomine is being stupid.

"A-Ah, I'll get started with dinner. You all can sit wherever you like." Yume averted the topic and headed to the kitchen.

As the perceptive one, Momoi slaps the tanned teen's back for his mistake. "I'll help, Yuu-chan!" she sauntered after her friend.

"Gah! That hurts, Satsuki!" Aomine complained gruffly. Then realisation sunk in. _"..and what do you mean by help?!_ _**Goddamn, NO!**_ GET OUT of the kitchen, Satsuki!" he yelled after her.

Thanks the Heaven, the boys manage to keep the hazardous cook off the kitchen and seated by the counter. The credit falls on Akashi, who with his peerless persuasive skill, successfully talked the girl to watch without harmful word said.

Even Murasakibara doesn't want to eat Momoi's horrendous cooking. He shuddered at the thought alone. And he's one of those people with strong stomach! Imagine what would happen if anyone is to consume that _supposedly-food-which-can't-be-called-food._

The rainbow group watch entranced, as Yume expertly prepared dinner for all of them. There's no waste in her movements, and certainly no waste of ingredients. Other then that, the delicious smell is also tickling their senses.

What will the dinner's taste like?

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, Will Yume finally befriend the rest of the_ _Generation of Miracles?_


	22. Chapter 21 - A word spoken can never be

Last one of Yume-Generation of Miracles interactions! Next chapter is finally Gakuensai, and besides meeting Kuroko, there's also a reappearance of certain characters! Look forward to it! Yes, the story is finally moving onwards~!

 ** _To RoaringDragon99:_ ** Hi there! Well, actually 'shy' isn't a word I would use to describe Yume. She is kind of shy, yes. But it's more like she keeps to herself rather than interacting with her peers more than necessary. If you notice, she talked to Momoi just fine in their first meeting. So instead of being less shy, I'd say she'd be more bold in socialising? I can't say for Highschool arc now, when the story is still in the 1st year arc, it's about to enter the 2nd year arc, but honestly.. Aomine or Akashi, eh? Sure, why not see what I can do about it? XD Anyway, thanks a lot for reading and reviewing!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 21 - A word spoken can never be taken back**

After about an hour of prepping and cooking, the dinner table is filled with appetising dishes with enticing smells, all courtesy of the cook.

Despite living alone, the dinner table is unusually wide, but it suits the spacious room. It's rectangle-shaped with six seats; three on each sides, with no centre seat.

The table comes with two other seats to be placed in the centre, but Yume thinks they're only a waste of space since she usually only uses one, three if her grandparents ever come for a visit.

A bowl of rice is placed in front of each seat, along with a plate filled with karaage, sauteed spinach and shrimp balls. There's an additional plate of Teriyaki burger in front of Aomine, and Squid ink pasta in front of Murasakibara.

For seconds, there're also bigger plates with each dishes on the middle of the table with the exception of Aomine's and Murasakibara's specially requested dishes, and lastly a pot of tofu soup on the stove.

"Yume, you're the best! This is the _best_ Teriyaki burger after Kaa-chan's!" Aomine gushed, spitting rice with every words spoken.

Some landed on Midorima's cheek, and that irritates him. "Eat and don't talk, Aomine. You're spitting rice everywhere!" he snarled.

The seating arrangement is , Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara then on the other side, facing Murasakibara is Akashi, then Momoi, finally Yume. Aomine has to turn diagonally to speak to the brunette, thus Midorima's misfortune.

"Cashier-chin is the best. This is delicious. Will you cook me this everyday?" Murasakibara slurped his pasta happily, his eyes sparkling.

Yume sweat dropped. "Err.. Thank you for the compliments, Daiki-kun, Murasakibara-kun.. But everyday is a bit..." she trailed off unsurely.

Of course not. How can Yume cook for the purple giant every single day? Not to mention he's still calling her with that nickname. After this, she has to make sure Murasakibara calls her name properly.

"I agree with Aomine and Murasakibara, Manai-san. These are delicious. I especially like the tofu soup." Akashi smiled after he took a sip of the soup, he appears satisfied.

The decision not to add seaweed is the right one. He wouldn't like it with seaweed, and the taste would be quite different. Akashi is satisfied, and Yume could only twitched a smile at him.

"Aww! You're so good, Yuu-chan! Can you teach me sometimes? Dai-chan always says I suck at cooking!" Momoi whined as she pouted, all the while glaring at her childhood friend who flinched.

The table goes quiet as they all think of a reply to that remark. Everyone knows that the pinkette is hopeless when it comes to making edible food. Her cooking is so awful that it's hardly edible.

Honestly, the boys just can't help but to compare the differences in skill between the two girls. It's almost as if one is the unreachable sky, and the other is the land they walk on.

"L-Let's cook together sometime, Sat-chan.." Yume tried to be pleasant about the suggestion, smiling while dreading inwardly.

That's enough to appease the girl, and everyone went back to their plates, making occasional conversations as they eat.

When dinner is done, with all plates finished up, Yume put the dishes into the dishwashing machines, seeing as she has lots of them today. She doesn't normally use them, but tonight's an exception.

"Na, Yume? Can I explore around?" that was Aomine, who's already half-way the stairs to 2nd floor.

"Mm, I don't mind, Daiki-kun!" she answered from the kitchen. "Everyone can walk around too, there's no off-limit, so please feel free." Yume smiled encouragingly at the group.

As soon as she said that, Midorima and Akashi said something about wanting to check the study room. They learned of its existence during dinner.

"Cashier-chin, can I use your kitchen to bake a cake? I want dessert." Murasakibara loomed over her, but he's pleading, not threatening.

This is her _chance_. "You can, Murasakibara-kun. But please call me by my **name**." Yume placed her condition smoothly.

"Okay. Mana-chin." Murasakibara agreed immediately. His sweets are on the line, so he accepts nearly everything.

 _Finally._ Yume pats herself on the back for her accomplishment. No longer will she hear that weird nickname in use, and there'll be no head turning at her after hearing that. She experienced that back in the grocery shopping, and it embarrassed her.

"Can I watch, Mu-kkun?" Momoi spoke hopefully, her eyes gleaming with interests.

The brunette can see that the male hesitates, but nods anyway. "..Okay.. but Momo-chin just watch, okay?" he reasoned cautiously.

Another one with issue regarding names is Momoi. The giant has been calling her 'Momo-chin' when in fact her name is Momoi. Then again, Yume is called 'Mana-chin' despite being Manai. Both lacking one syllable.

"I'll be checking on Daiki-kun and the rest." Yume smiled as she excused herself up the stairs.

Murasakibara starts on his cake as Momoi keeps a watchful eye on his movements, the ingredients he uses, and all to burn it into her memory so she can recreate said product.

The first person she sees after stepping into the 2nd floor is Aomine, who is sprawled on the carpeted lounge area with an excited expression plastered on his face.

"Daiki-kun? What are you doing?" Yume questioned in slight confusion. She can see that the boy enjoys the place, but she doesn't know why.

"Oh, Yume!" Aomine exclaimed when he noticed her. "This is great! Your TV is huge, too! Do you have any games? It'll be awesome to play in such large screen!" he continued to gush with excitement.

Yume feels almost sorry to break the news. "..I'm sorry. I don't normally play games, so I don't have one." she looks apologetic.

His expression fell at that, his shoulders slumped. Then within the minute, he bounced back. "Oh, well. I guess that's you. I'll just bring the games next time." Aomine grinned.

The brunette blinks. "Next time..?" she echoed in disbelief, but not disapproving. "You're coming again, Daiki-kun?"

" _'course!_ We're friends, aren't we?" Aomine answered like it's an obvious matter. He's not offended at her question, since he can tell that she doesn't dislike the idea.

While surprising and unexpected, Yume is happy. A smile makes its way to her lips, and she nods at the male. "Mm. Thank you, Daiki-kun."

Although the start of their friendship is rather rough and half-forced, it doesn't seem as bad now. Both Momoi and Aomine are her friends now, not a friend-of-friend, but friends.

After she's done checking Aomine, Yume walks to her study room where the other two teens are. And as expected, Akashi and Midorima are currently browsing around, each with an open-book in hand.

"Manai-san." Akashi greeted her with a smile as he looked up from his reading, which is half-way done.

"Akashi-kun, Midorima-kun." Yume returned the greeting as Midorima inclined his head as his acknowledgement.

"You have quite the collections, Manai-san. Even I don't have some of these." Akashi spoke as he ran his eyes through the books on the shelves.

Most of the books on her study room are History-related, and most of them are in complete sets, some are even the rarest of the rare, and few are the some of the most ancients. It just so happens that History is Yume's favourite genre of readings.

"Mm. I love to read about History, so I collect some. The rest are hand-me-downs from my parents and grandparents." Yume confessed, a slight sadness crossed her limegreen orbs.

Akashi notices that, he's always one for details. "Parents and grandparents, huh..?" he parroted. "If I may, Manai-san. You're not living with either of them, are you?"

Yume stiffen at this, which of course doesn't escape the redhead's watch. "A-Ah.. yes. My grandma and grandpa are living in Kyoto, I transferred here this year." she smiled awkwardly.

"My parents..." she trailed of unsurely this time. For a moment, she looks almost lifeless. Then she smiles like nothing happened. "They are working abroad." she finished.

Midorima can feel the air turned awkward after Akashi's question, so he decided to help out the girl a bit. "Manai. Is your best subject History?" he diverted the topic.

He might not say it, but Midorima actually respects and admires the girl when he learned how she reviews lessons after school. She is a hard worker, he'll give her that. Yume even manages to beat him, _once_ , but **never** again.

"Well, no, actually.." Yume smiled sheepishly, fiddling her fingers nervously. She is grateful for Midorima changing the topic, but she feels like... who knows?

"My best subject is Language." Yume replied after a slight pause. "Ancient and Modern Japanese Literature, Chinese Classical Literature, English Conversation and English Grammar. As long as they involve language." she listed each one.

"Oh, but my favourite subject is History. Both Japanese and World History." Yume smiled at the greenhead who twitched slightly.

It seems Akashi is impressed with her rather long list. He nods in approval. "It's amazing how you have lots of best subjects, Manai-san."

Coming from Akashi, that's indeed a compliment worth bragging about. But the _opposite_ is also true. _Because..._

"What about Akashi-kun? What subjects are you best at?" Yume asked since it's natural to do so in the situation.

The redhead smiles amiably and confidently that it's almost irritating. _"All of them."_ he spoke with no hesitation.

 _That's_ why. Yume doesn't say anything else, and Midorima opts to go back to his reading. The conversation ended at that.

Yume treads down the stairs and sees that the two teens are still at it in the kitchen. It's been a while, so she thought they might be about done.

"Finished." Murasakibara announced.

Momoi's peach orbs are glittering with joy and interest as she stares at the tasty-looking treat on the counter after Murasakibara's finishing touch.

One look is all it takes for Yume to understand Momoi's excitement. The cake Murasakibara baked looks perfect, nicely decorated, with fluffy whipped cream, glistening strawberry, and chocolate swirls sprinkled on the top.

"This... This is _**amazing**_ , Murasakibara-kun!" Yume gasped at the masterpiece.

While Yume doesn't really bake, she knows that such cake doesn't come out of the kitchen everyday. This kind of cake is one straight-out from high-class patisserie!

"Do you want a taste, Mana-chin?" Murasakibara offered, which is surprising since he usually turns all mother-bear with her cubs when it involves sweets.

The offer is too sweet for Yume to refuse, so she nods and opens her mouth when Murasakibara lifts a spoonful of cake to her. Her eyes immediately lit up. The cake practically melts in her mouth!

The whipped cream is sweet and soft, the strawberry is a bit sour, but it matches the taste so as not to be overly sweet. The chocolate is a bit bitter, with a hint of sweetness. The sponge cake is fluffy and springy. It's the best cake she ever tasted.

"Murasakibara-kun..." Yume has her eyes closed from savouring the bite just now. Then she opens her eyes. "This is the _**best**_! Honest! I'm sure you'll make an amazing patissier!" she stared at him admiringly.

Murasakibara stares down at the girl since she is smaller, then he smiles as he starts patting her head wordlessly, confusing the latter.

Meanwhile, Momoi takes a bite for herself when the two are in their own world. She has the same reaction as Yume. "Mu-kkun, AMAZING!" she cheered.

Momoi looks at the boy with admiration and sparkling eyes. "Please teach me!" she pleaded enthusiastically.

That makes Murasakibara paused in his patting, and he stopped. "..It's too troublesome. No." he walked away to the dinner table with his cake.

"Eh?! Mu-kkun!" Momoi whined after the boy, who ignored her completely. She pouts.

On the other hand, Yume is still feeling a bit lost from the giant's unexpected behaviour. Are they even close enough to be patting one another? She honestly wonders about that.

Time passed, and it's now time for her guests to go home to their respective homes as it's already late. They are all now standing by the door, they insisted that Yume doesn't need to escort them down.

"I'll come again, Yuu-chan!" Momoi chirped happily, sharing a hug with her friend.

Aomine is all-grins as he ruffles the brunette hair slightly, which is a first. "I'll bring games next time!"

The experience is new to Yume, so she is kind of flustered inside. But it isn't a bad feeling, so she blushes instead, earning her a squeal and more hugs from Momoi.

"This book, are you sure I can borrow it, Manai?" Midorima asked as he holds a book in hand. It's from her study room.

Yume smiles at him. "It's okay, Midorima-kun. I don't mind. You can return it any time, I have finished reading it." she assured him.

Midorima nods at that. Maybe that means he can come for a visit sometime? It's not that he come to see her, it's the book that he wants to read. The books!

"Mana-chin, next time I'll bring a cake." Murasakibara smiled a bit too happy.

At the mention of cake, Yume has another thought instead. "Next time, let's bake a cake together, Murasakibara-kun." she looked up at him, smiling.

The purple giant appears to be surprised, but quickly nods. "Okay, if it's Mana-chin." he agreed.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Manai-san." Akashi smiled like the gentleman he is. "I'll be sure to come again." he said smoothly.

Amongst all promises to come again, Yume is most scared of Akashi's. So when he said that with a tone of certainty, she can't help but panicked internally.

 _ **"..alone."**_ Akashi added with a smirk after noticing her inner conflict.

Yume's limegreen orbs almost popped out of its socket, while Aomine's jaw almost dropped to the floor at the redhead's bold remark. Momoi almost screamed. Almost.

"I'm just joking." Akashi chuckled with amusement, mischiefs dancing in his ruby eyes.

It's too late for Yume to regard it as a joke. Somehow, she is not under the impression that the redhead is just joking. Akashi and joke **does** **not** go together.

The shudders. Yume can't stop trembling with fear when she thought Akashi might not be joking after all. _Dear Heaven above, please, as impossible as it sounds, make it that he's just joking._

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, it's finally the Cultural Festival! What will be of Yume's_ _responsibility as a Student Council member?_


	23. Chapter 22 - An oil lamp becomes

Aww, thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad that the interactions are well-received! As for the Highschool arc, I think I'm viewing it in a positive light for now~! Also, the Cultural Festival is here! Yume will finally meet Kuroko again, and also some characters' reappearances are in order~! I'll be saving a very satisfying interactions for next update! Ah, and I have a **VERY IMPORTANT** announcement below, please read it!

 ** _To lAnimeLoverl:_** Hi! Actually, no, I haven't decided on pairings yet. I'm making this fanfic more friendship-centric, so the pairings will be as the story progress? I'm not sure myself. But I like the interactions between Yume and the boys, in fact, I'm planning for a fluff real soon! Look forward to it~!

 _ **To Guest97:**_ Hello to you, too! Akashi and Aomine is very popular, eh? As for how they would fall for Yume, *grins*, one of the boys will soon view her in a different light! It will only be the beginning, and again, since this story focuses on friendship, the romance will drag on for quite a while. They are middle-schoolers after all, so I can take it slow, no?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 22 - An oil lamp becomes brighter after trimming**

Summer is finally upon the students of Teikō. Due to several reasons, the school decided to hold the annual Cultural Festival earlier this year when it's usually held in the Autumn. It's been scheduled since the beginning of the school year, and thus there's no sudden announcement.

Students of all years are busied with preparations for the upcoming Cultural Festival, especially the Student Council members of Teikō. They have to be responsible for the events planning, overseeing the classes, and reviews the budget for each club since the same amount can't be applied for every clubs.

In the midst of this, Yume is thankful that she _isn't_ part of any after-school clubs, so she's only got one to work on. Honestly though, she's not part of the Student Council by choice.

"Manai-san, you're not part of any clubs, are you?" Akashi, in his President's persona, asked as he read some papers.

The two, along with Midorima who is currently engrossed in his own work of writing a report on the students' responses to the Cultural Festival this year, are the only occupant of the room. The other members are out and about, preparing for the Cultural Festival.

While Yume feels dread closing in on her. Nevertheless, she answers truthfully. "Yes, I'm not.." she replied cautiously.

Akashi pauses mid-way, and drops his papers to his desk, **that** smile of his smile now in full-view. "Good. Takeda-san and Kuga-san are part of the shōgi club and ikebana club respectively, so they have their hands full."

"Midorima and I also have to help out at the basketball club, although we can spare some time since we have lots of member." Akashi paused, a pleasant smile on his expression.

 _It's_ _coming_. Yume can feel it. "Which is why I'm entrusting you with more tasks to complete." Akashi said in finality.

After working with the redhead for about a month now, Yume can easily translate the various meanings behind his smiles, and this one says _**'No complain'**_.

"..I understand, Akashi-kun." Yume kept her sigh at bay, not wanting to get in trouble with the boy.

It pleased Akashi that the brunette learns the rope quickly, one of which is not to question his decision. He isn't bragging, but he knows what he's doing, and he appreciates it if people stop asking why.

This is why Akashi favours working with Midorima and Yume, they both know what they and he is doing. That way, there's less time wasted on needless discussion and long explanations. Takeda and Kuga are both 2nd years, which is probably why they are not as comfortable around him

"I want you to check all clubs in this list, gather their budget proposals and report to me about their plans for the Cultural Festival." Akashi spoke as he placed a stack of papers on his desk.

Yume takes that as her cue to read and examine the papers. Amongst the ten clubs listed, two strike her as overly familiar; Basketball Club and Choir Club. The latter which prompts a thin line on her temple.

Of course, that doesn't escape Akashi's notice. He is the one to assign her the tasks after all. "Regarding the Choir Club, Manai-san." he began.

"It came to my attention that you haven't resolved the matters pertaining to the budget proposal from last month." Akashi stated as the girl stiffen. He was about to smirk, but smiles instead.

"Please settle _**all**_ _**matters**_ correlating to these clubs." Akashi smiled sweetly. As in sugary-sweet.

Now that smile coming from Akashi screams danger, it's an _'_ _ **Obey-or-else'**_. Truly, the boy never ceases to amaze her with how he can always get people to do his bidding. It's scary how his smiles can mean an entirely different thing depending on the circumstances.

From the depth of her heart, Yume vows to _never,_ _ever_ cross the male. For the day that happened, is the day she's regretting and probably running from life and a certain redhead.

"Yes, I understand, Akashi-kun. I'll be leaving then." Yume tried to maintain her professional smile as she picked up the papers, carries them in one hand, and exits the room.

She doesn't have to glance behind her to know that her President is currently smirking on his lounge chair. Akashi seems to enjoy teasing her. He is a sadist through and through. Yume knows it well.

Besides, Akashi is not wrong on this one. The faster the matters about the Choir Club is done, the lighter the burdens on her shoulders will be. There's nothing good about postponing it. He must thinks the same.

When Yume is out of the room, Midorima stops typing, as he turns to Akashi from his desk. "Akashi. Are you sure about letting Manai handle the matters with the Choir Club? You know that Miyazawa doesn't think well of her."

Akashi smiles at this. Of course he knows about the latter's hostility on his Treasurer, but that's exactly why he makes Yume do it. Most often than not, Midorima isn't sharp enough on cases involving emotions and people's relationships, he's a bit clueless on that part of the world.

"I'm sure Manai-san will be just fine. Like Momoi, she's _not_ just an average girl. She has talent, Midorima." Akashi told him with an air of confidence and authority.

The greenhead frowns at this. What other talent could the brunette be hiding from him? "And that is?" he inquired further, curious.

However, Akashi only smiles vaguely before he returns to his papers. "You will know soon, Midorima. Quite soon." he smirks.

Midorima has to say, Akashi really knows how to irritate him. The redhead keeps his secrets well, and only reveals his cards when the time is right. He's always steps ahead, and that annoys him.

But truly, what talent does Akashi sees in Manai Yume?

* * *

How much better would it be had Akashi alert her about all this? Yume hasn't yet prepared her heart to confront the headstrong girl she first met at the hallway. She wants to sigh. Ever since she was forced to join the Student Council, things just haven't been smooth-sailing.

Even so, a job is a job. With that in mind, Yume first finished the eight other clubs and leaves the Basketball Club and Choir Club last.

"..Here goes nothing..." Yume breathed out before she opens the door with 'Choir Club' written above it.

As soon as the door is opened, melodious voices of few students bursted to fill the corridor. Each student has a different vocal range, and the girls take on the higher notes while boys take on the lower notes. Even with the differences, the voices all come together and harmonise beautifully.

"What are your business, Manai-san?" a sudden voice snapped Yume from her trance, it's a voice she's familiar with.

Miyazawa stands with a questionable expression, her smile seems to have double-meanings. In this case though, Yume can't be sure which meaning was it since she's not close with the girl.

 _Correction: It's that Yume hasn't spend enough time with Miyazawa. She's_ _ **not**_ _close with Akashi. No._ _ **Never**_ _._

"I'm here representing the Student Council for the Cultural Festival's preparation, Miyazawa-san. Can I talk to you?" Yume replied with a courteous smile.

As Miyazawa is the Club's president, she half-expected for Yume to come to her regarding the Cultural Festival, but she's not about to let the brunette ask about the Cultural Festival if she's ignoring her budget proposal from last month.

Ever since their budget proposal is rejected and her request for a follow-up is left hanging, the club has been funded from the members' wallet. They can no longer afford pretty dresses for the members to wear on stage, and even had to cut few supplies. This enrages Miyazawa.

"Very well, Manai-san. I have to ask you to be quick since as you can see, the members are training for our stage play in the Cultural Festival and I have to oversee them." Miyazawa spoke before turning her back on her, a motion for Yume to follow.

The two girls walk to another room which is connected with the room they were in. This room is rather small and is filled with books with a simple desk and chair by the corner. There're music sheets on the desk, so Yume assumes this is the Choir Club's archive.

Miyazawa walks to the desk and takes one paper from the pile and wordlessly hands it to Yume. It's the lists of expenses they predicted to be incurred for the event they are planning for the Cultural Festival.

The paper is what Yume comes for, but it's not the end of the task Akashi assigned her. And from the looks of it, Miyazawa is also not planning to let her leave without asking about the budget proposal she rejected. That's that.

"I'm surprised, Miyazawa-san. I had heard that Teikō's Choir Club has a bad reputation, but after hearing the members' performance, I have to say they are quite good." Yume tried to strike a conversation to lessen the strain in the air.

However, Miyazawa took it as an offense. "Are you here to mock us, Manai-san?" she half-glared at the brunette.

The hostility is expected, but Yume really need to get Miyazawa to show it upfront to her so she can smooth things out. "That's not what I meant, Miyazawa-san. I'm saying that if the rumours about the club being bad previously is true, then I suppose it's your addition to the team that helps them improved this well."

This caused Miyazawa to be flustered, and she blushes at the unexpected compliment. The praise itself is not unexpected, she personally coached them after all! It's just that she didn't expect to be praised by a girl she considers to be her enemy.

Seeing as the girl lost her composure, Yume takes this chance to address the budget matters. "I'm sure you're wondering about the club's budget proposal that we refused before."

As Miyazawa stiffened, she continued. "Truthfully, the Student Council can't accept your budget proposal due to the Choir Club's underachievement. However, that also holds true that if the club gains recognitions this year, we won't be able to refuse it next year."

"With that, I wish you and the rest good luck, Miyazawa-san. I believe with the pace the club is going, you're sure to win competitions." Yume smiled as she finished and bowed curtly before she makes her exit.

After leaving behind a stunned Miyazawa, Yume let out the breath she's been holding. 'That was close...' she shuddered.

If Yume had messed up the timing just a little bit, Miyazawa would have lunged at her with torrents of questions and demanded her proposal to be approved without ever hearing her complete explanation.

Anyway, now that's done, Yume has to go to the basketball club next. In terms of practicability, either Midorima or Akashi should've done it, seeing as they are both members.

Then again, the club is separated into three different strings. That might as well make one club each, since she heard from Momoi that there're about tenths of members in each string.

* * *

On her way to the Gyms the basketball club is using, Yume saw heaps of student going in and out of classrooms. During this period before every Cultural Festivals, all students, be it freshmen, sophomores or seniors are all busied with preparations. Teikō especially expects the best of the best of their students.

"Excuse me? I'm Manai Yume from the Student Council, can I talk to the Captain, please?" Yume peered into the 3rd Gym where the third stringers of the basketball club are doing various jobs from colouring the boards to few others.

"Oh, you're here for the list of expenses, right?" a boy with spiky black hair approached her with a friendly smile.

He then offered his hand, which Yume took after hesitating a bit. "I'm the Captain of the third stringers, Kawada Eiji, a 2nd year."

"A-Ah, Manai Yume, a 1st year, and Treasurer of the Student Council..." Yume introduced herself with a curt bow. She is fidgeting on her feet.

Kawada seems to find her amusing as he snickered. "Sorry, it's just that I heard you the first time." he told her, making her blush slightly. They broke the contact.

"Yamada! The expenses list from the Student Council, bring it here! Oh, and don't forget the members list, too!" Kawada turned to shout at a boy near the bench.

The boy grins and picks the papers on the bench next to him, and after scanning it once, he runs to join Kawada and Yume. "Here." he handed it to Kawada.

Kawada takes it and reads it, then he nods. He hands it to Yume. "Here, Manai-san. You can read it first, then I'll tell you about our event for the Cultural Festival." he told her.

First, Yume reads the expenses and decides they are reasonable enough. Then she quickly skims through the members list, since all she needs is the total number of participants. Until she stops at a familiar name.

 _ **Kuroko Tetsuya.**_

Curiosity fills her as Yume remembers the babyblue-haired boy having introduced himself with the same name. Can this be the same person? If he is, then she has to wonder what is it with her school life and basketball. It seems like almost everyone she knows play the sport.

"Um, Kawada-san?" Yume brought the boy attention to her. She pointed to the name. "This _'Kuroko Tetsuya'_ , is he part of the basketball club?" she asked curiously.

At her enquiry, Kawada stares at the paper and the name she's pointing at, and indeed the name is there. He frowns. "If he's listed then he is. But.. I don't actually remember there's a member with that name..." he muttered in confusion.

Kawada turned at his Vice Captain. "Yamada, do you know the guy?" he quirked his brow, hoping his friend can enlighten him.

Only for Yamada to shake his head with a frown and shrugs. "No, actually. I don't remember." he is also unsure.

Assuming that this _'Kuroko Tetsuya'_ is not remembered due to his weak presence and quiet nature, then he is the same person she knows. And as if to confirm her suspicion, the very same boy materialises from behind the boys, hidden from view.

"I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm part of the basketball club." Kuroko stated blankly, making his Captain's and Vice Captain's knees to buckle in surprise.

"G-GAH!" the two boys yelped at the same time when they saw the ghostly-presence behind them. They fell to their knees.

"O-Oh, so you're Kuroko.. Yes, I remember you now. Sorry, about before, Kuroko." Kawada was the first to recover out of the two. He grins sheepishly as he stands up.

Yamada on the other hand is grumbling. He's not happy with the surprise. "You could have alerted us with a nudge next time." he suggested. Then he frowns. "..No, forget it. I'll be more surprised then..."

"Since when were you there, anyway?" Yamada asked, his brows arched in confusion. He wasn't aware someone is behind him until the boy spoke.

Kuroko doesn't disappoint. "I heard my name was called, so I've been standing for a while." he replied. He had hope they would notice him standing behind them before he spoke, but it seems like that's impossible.

Indeed it's the same Kuroko she knows. Yume feels sorry for him, somehow she can tell that he didn't mean to startle his senpais. He is just quite hard to notice, but really, he's not easy to forget. She knows that. After all, it's getting easier to notice him now that they've met for a few times.

"Good afternoon, Kuroko-kun." Yume greets him with a smile this time. She had passed that stage of avoiding and running from him at first sight.

Kuroko returns the greeting. "Good afternoon, Manai-san. It's nice to see you again." he nodded a bit.

The exchange between the two make his senpais blink with bewilderment. Yamada is first to speak. "You both know each other?" he eyed the two, who nodded. He grins.

"Great! Then, Kuroko, I'll be leaving the explaining to you! You know what we're doing for the Cultural Festival, right? Just explain the gist, and we'll be fine!" Yamada patted the boy in the shoulders.

Kawada frowns at this. "Yamada. That should've been our job, you know? Why are you dumping it on Kuroko?" he chided his friend.

Being the polite boy he is, Kuroko doesn't mind having to explain to Yume. "It's fine, Kawada-san. I can explain it to Manai-san. Kawada-san and Yamada-san can go back to your jobs. I don't mind." he assured his senpais.

While Yamada jumps at his answer and tells Kuroko how great of a guy he is, Kawada still feels like it's not right until his Vice Captain drags him away from the scene by his collar, making the two freshmen sweat drop at their senpais.

After they are the only one left, Kuroko smiles at the brunette. "We can talk after we sit on the bench, Manai-san. This way." he guided her to a bench on the corner of the gym.

Since it's a corner seat, the noises are quite muffled, so the two can have a nice discussion here without worrying about others eavesdropping on them. Ever since their last meeting, Yume has always wanted to talk with the boy more.

She wants to properly know him, and maybe even befriends him, this time on her own accord.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 **ANNOUNCEMENT!**

 _ **I'll be busy this week and the week after, sorry! I have exams coming up! Also, to fill up the time, how about suggesting an idea about the kind of interactions you want to see between Yume and the ****Generation of Miracles? For example, I'm planning to write about the Generation of Miracles visiting Yume's home in Kyoto! Any ideas are welcome, so please tell me!**_

 _Next time, Yume is talking to Kuroko without shying away like before! And! She'll face the person she's been avoiding since a certain practice match where she 'poisoned' the_ _Teikō players!_


	24. Chapter 23 - A single spark can start a

First off. SORRY. REALLY REALLY SORRY. Yeah, I know, this chapter is due long wayyyy back. Anyway, I have just started on reading some fanfics on Naruto, needless to say, I'm hooked. That's basically where I am these days. I'm trying to start picking up the paces again, so this week or by next week? I'll get the updates going on. To make up for my long long hiatus, I'm posting 3 chapters of Dreams of Life! Hope you enjoy~

 _ **To Dina Sana:**_ Kuroko as Yume's love interest, eh? I don't see why not, but I have to say, this is a friendship fic so the attraction will be there but subtle. I think the girls are smart enough not to let boys get in the way of their friendship.

 _ **To Guest97:**_ About Aomine teaching Yume basketball, I actually already have plans for that! Your other suggestions are sound too. I'll probably tweak it a bit here and there. I have long list for these interactions now, hha. And thank you!

 _ **To VioletRyu:**_ I have many people asking about Kise, and Kuroko, well yeah, Yume was less knowledgeable about that side of the world, entertainment stuffs. But hey, she have the resources and she might actually learned that fact before his addition to the club. Just tell me when you do, I'll definitely read it~! Oh, and Kuroko, that would be a surprise!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 23 - A single spark can start a prairie fire**

The third stringers of the basketball club appear busy as they continue to bustle around, making sure various jobs are done properly. Like any other schools, Teikō also rewards several best events of the Cultural Festival, _one_ of which is chosen from amongst the clubs.

It's quite the prestigious award, since the winning club will be given the school's immediate approval for additional funds throughout the school year. This special exception is only granted once a year and to one club exclusively.

Usually, clubs applying for a raise in budget needs to be evaluated by the Student Council, then after a through investigation, it'll be passed on to the School Board, which takes at least a month, and half-a-year at most. Even then, there's no guarantee that it will be approved. Thus, the Cultural Festival presents the ultimate chance for the clubs seeking for more funds.

"I didn't know you're also a member of the basketball club, Kuroko-kun." Yume smiled amiably, tilting her head at the boy.

Being the observant boy he is, Kuroko notices the usage of the word 'also' and the implication behind it. "I applied at the beginning of the school year. Are your friends part of the basketball club, Manai-san?"

If it was weeks ago, Yume would be flustered, but now she can say it with confidence. She smiles sweetly, her cheeks pinkish. "Mm. I'm friends with Sat-chan and Daiki-kun. Oh, and clubmates with Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun. As for Murasakibara-kun..." she trailed off unsurely.

Yume isn't sure if she can call the purple giant her friend, and they aren't in the same club. "...we're in a _working_ _relationship_ , I guess.." she smiled sheepishly.

It's a fact that she has became the giant's personal sweets supplier. In actuality, Murasakibara had just placed an order for ten more boxes of maiubou and nerunerunerune candies a little over a week ago.

As weird as the last part was, Kuroko decided not to call her out on it. Instead, he addressed the matter regarding her friends. "They are members of the 1st string, Manai-san." he muttered.

From the way he said it, somehow Yume can detect a hint of sadness in the boy's voice. Was it perhaps because Kuroko's in the 3rd string? After hanging out with people like Momoi and Aomine, who probably have a basketball as a brain, she knows that Teikō's third stringers can never play in official match, and can rarely play in practice match.

Teikō's Basketball Club is especially strong and has lots of members, which is why the selection of the players are stricter, and to match their reputation, they make sure that only the best of best are representing the school. For those in the 3rd string, they aren't even a back-up and aren't expected much.

It's either they give up, or continue the club as mere hobby, that, or for exercise purposes, nothing serious or ambitious. It's that hopeless.

"...Why did Kuroko-kun join the basketball club?" Yume tried asking. When one starts to stray, it's best to recall the starting line.

As she expects, a fond expression crosses his features. "I love basketball. It's fun." he replied. "I also have a promise to fulfil with a friend." he added, seemingly to take a pleasant short trip to the past.

The boy is feeling better, and Yume can tell his sincere love for the sport. It encourages a smile. "You have a strong will, Kuroko-kun." she praised him. "If you're that determined, then there's sure to be a way."

Of course he's been telling himself the same thing, but hearing that from someone else encourages him. "Thank you, Manai-san." Kuroko smiled in gratitude. He stares at his feet. "I have been practicing until late so I can get better."

"Mm.. What are you practicing?" Yume asked curiously. She rarely visits the gym when the boys practice, and she isn't that knowledgeable about basketball in the first place.

"The basics, Manai-san." Kuroko admitted with a thin line now visible on his forehead. "I'm practicing dribbles, lay-ups, passes, shoots, drives, and few others."

The wry smile returns to his face. "If one's not good at the basics, he's not a good basketball player." he clenched his fists.

It isn't a rare occurrence for someone to grieve for what they are lacking instead of being grateful for what they have. However, when what you're lacking is what you truly need to succeed in the thing you love, that's when it really hurts.

Even for Yume, she understands this, and while she doesn't play basketball, she notices that the boy's small and frail build are already a minus for the sport. She does know a certain redhead with a similar stature who's still an excellent basketball player, but somehow, she feels like he is just an exception.

Yume is unable to provide him an answer nor consolation, she could only offer him silence for his peace of mind. What is it that she can do for Kuroko? She wants to help him, to alleviate his pain, and pushes him towards his dream of becoming a great basketball player, to fulfil his promise.

As an individual, Kuroko is undoubtedly lacking presence of his existence, in addition, his quiet and mild nature doesn't help. He also tends to have this blank, hard-to-read expression. In the bright side, he seems to be the type of person who think things through with a cool head and a calm state.

These, aren't hard for Yume to notice. While Kuroko is not an open-book as he's still not very adept at hiding his emotions, his babyblue eyes especially, are very honest. Eyes are the most expressive features of a human, and without exception, his as well.

Moreover, she's been able to notice 'things' about people ever since childhood. It wasn't by choice. Circumstances forced her to be aware of what line not to cross to stay within the social circle, which is why she has a pretty good sense of reading people.

"Err.. I don't think it will help your basic practice, but if you don't lose your head in a match, you might be able to function better as a player, Kuroko-kun." Yume tried suggesting as she stared at her feet.

She smiles at him. "I think that's where your potential lies." she paused at his slightly surprised expression. She's fidgeting. "I think you will be a good Point Guard, Kuroko-kun. Isn't that the position that most utilises the mind and circulate the team plays? A calm person like you would do good."

These informations, of course, came from the notebook Momoi gave her, which is about the gists of basketball. She has finished reading it long ago, but she's not quite sure about some parts since she doesn't actually play the sport.

"I'm not very good at defense, Manai-san. I always got the ball taken from me." Kuroko informed sadly. He had tried his best to perform well within a team to compensate for his weakness, but to no avail.

At her mistake, Yume is flustered. "E-Err... T-Then, perhaps Small Forward? Kuroko-kun can move around the court and make passes to your teammates?" she tried again, stuttering slightly.

"I'm not very fast, and my teammates often forget of my existence even on court." Kuroko almost deadpanned.

That leaves her with no more words to say. It seems her advice is really useless, seeing as she doesn't know much about basketball in the first place. Her complexion turns blue in her hopelessness.

On the other hand, Kuroko is actually amused by her reaction. Yume is quite honest with her feelings, too. "Thank you for your concern, Manai-san. I will try my best, so don't worry." he smiled teensy bit.

"..I'm sorry for not being more helpful.." Yume spoke dejectedly, her head hung low. She had wanted to cheer the boy, now it feels like the opposite instead.

"It's alright." Kuroko assured her, replacing his laughters with a smile. "Also, about the Cultural Festival, Manai-san.." he began.

The brunette's head shot up at this, finally remembering what she's here for. "A-Ah, yes.. Please tell me about that, Kuroko-kun.." she smiled sheepishly.

After a through discussion, it turns out that each string of the Basketball Club is doing different things; the 3rd stringers are holding a Escape-the-Maze in the 3rd Gym, the 2nd stringers are hosting a basketball shooting competition in the 2nd Gym, and as for the 1st stringers...

"Hmm.. I just need to see someone from the 1st stringers.." Yume mused to herself, steadying the papers in her arm.

Seeing as Momoi is the manager of the 1st string, the pinkette would have known what event they are doing. Even without that, Akashi and Midorima would have known anyway. Is there even a need for her to question the 1st stringers?

It's not like Akashi to do this. He is the type of person that does his works efficiently, so why did he assign her to a needless job? Yume frowns. She feels like the redhead has _something_ in mind, _something_ she doesn't like.

Then again, what else could she do but retrieve the papers and hear out what the 1st stringers have to say like she is expected to do? She is a member of the Student Council, and the President's order is absolute.

Even without his status, Yume still wouldn't dare to question the redhead. Few glimpses of what lies behind his daily mask is enough to scare her for life. There's just more to Akashi than his gentlemanly demeanour.

Amidst her self-musing, she finally spots a familiar presence just a few feet away from where she's standing. It's a person who can help her finish her job and let her return to her class to help for preparations.

 _"Niji—"_ Yume quicken her pace with a smile, heading for said person. Only to freeze on her third step as realisation hit her hard.

 **Tomigaoka's practice match**. The very reason for her embarrassment that prevents her from ever looking at the ravenette 2nd year in the face. She blushes instantly, red flushing her cheeks, and even her ears.

Ever since that fateful day where something goes wrong, Yume has been avoiding the Gym at all costs, and whenever Momoi drags her to the Gym, she will always hide behind either Momoi or Aomine.

'It can't be another one of Akashi-kun mischievous schemes, can it...?' Yume cringed inwardly. Why must the redhead treats her like this?

Yume is restless; both her emotions and her feet. She is trapped between her duty and her conscience. However, her cheeks and her feet has a mind of its own, heating up and making a turn backward respectively without her realising.

"Hmm? _Manai?_ Isn't that Manai?" the ravenette quirked his brow as he focused his gaze on the younger girl's form, unknowingly making her flinch.

As if the heart attack wasn't yet enough, the 2nd year male walks to her side without hesitation. "Are you here for the Student Council's matters?" he asked with a knowing tone.

Meanwhile, Yume's heart is ready to burst from mortification and her face burned scarlet. She tried opening her lips to speak only to closed it when no audible sounds left her throat.

In the end, she can only manage a weak nod while locking her gaze on the floor. She doesn't have the courage to look at her senpai in the eyes, lest he sees her reddened cheeks and embarrassed herself further.

This had Nijimura arched his brow knowingly. Frankly, he realised the cause behind the brunette's strange behaviours ever since the girl avoided seeing him to the point of desperately shielding herself with her friends whenever she comes over to the gym.

Even Nijimura still finds himself blushing whenever he recalls their previous exchange at the practice match. He knows she is embarrassed, but he can't say he feels nice avoided by the younger girl. Honestly, it bothers him quite a lot.

"..I will look for the papers you want. Wait here." Nijimura scratched his head awkwardly before making a turn into the 1st Gym.

The ravenette is aware that the girl was trying extra hard avoiding him. And so, even though he doesn't like it, he decided to let her be. But now, it has to stop. There's this nagging feeling at the back of his head.

Yume nods meekly, her grip on the papers in her hands increases as they act as her stress reliever while mentally scolding herself for her improper behaviours towards her senpai. She frowns, staring down at her jittery toes.

"Here, Manai." Nijimura called as he handed the papers to her face, surprising the latter since her thought was too muddled to notice his presence.

He feels sorry for the brunette, any longer and her cheeks are roasted. He did however, notice she looks adorable with the healthy shades of red brushing her cheeks. He shakes his thoughts away.

"Anyway, the 1st stringers are doing a one-on-one Teach-and-Learn Basketball event. The members of the 1st string will personally guide the customers to basketball, ranging from the basics, to more complicated techniques." Nijimura explained, his arms crossed and a thoughtful look on his expression.

If he remembers right, and Nijimura is sure he is, Akashi and Midorima should have been aware of what he just told the girl, and more details. He can't help but wonder why they sent her all the way here in this busy time.

Speaking of Yume, she is still red and staring on her feet like they are the most interesting thing. She did nod at some points when he's talking, but that's it. He sighed. "You know, Manai.. You can behave normally around me. I really don't mind your... kindness back then."

"Rather, I'm thankful." Nijimura paused a bit. He recalls his teammates falling one after another not long after the break then and can't help the shivers. "..Perhaps it's due to your lemon water I didn't collapse..." he muttered.

What he doesn't know, is that while it's true she saved him, it was her 'poison' that threatened him. Meaning, it's not that her lemon water improved his tired condition, it's the drink that is 'poison-free'. She sweat drops at her hidden thoughts.

Nijimura peeks at the brunette from the corner of his eyes before he looks elsewhere, scratching his cheeks with slight pinkish tint. "..and it doesn't feel nice avoided..." he murmured.

That gets Yume to look up and meet his eyes, surprise flickering in her limegreen eyes. "I-I'm sorry, N-Nijimura-san..!" she squeaked.

"I-It's just.." she tried to think of acceptable reason, anything but came up with only the truth. Yume hangs her head. "..I... I can't help but blush.. and stutter every time I see you..." she confessed shyly.

Yume grips her skirt, then bravely meets the ravenette's unreadable gaze. "I will try not to do it again." she said resolutely before shutting her eyes and bowing her head.

It's not her intention to offend the Captain, but still she did. Yume only wanted a cool-down period before she is ready to face Nijimura again, yet somehow she ended up dragging it far too long that he spoke to her about it.

With only the quietest murmurs from the closest gym, Nijimura smirks in amusement. He can't help the tingly feelings in his guts. Gingerly, he flicks her forehead with almost no force in it. "I will hold you on to that, Manai."

"Akashi will know the rest, so we can leave it there. I have stuffs to do." Nijimura got up and left, leaving behind the stunned girl on her own.

After what seems like forever, her mind finally processed what just transpired, her cheeks turn at least three shades redder. In her confusion, Yume manages to look up and notices the familiar colour dusting the older male's ears as he walked further away. It made her blush harder.

When she is the only one in the vicinity, Yume crouched down and brought the papers in her hands to cover her face, most notably her forehead and the spot that feels warmer than then the rest. It's something she would never do, but she did.

Unbeknownst to Yume, there's a certain pinkette just behind the wall, hiding with a grin stretching so wide it almost splits her face in half. It's a wonder how she can stop herself from uttering any high-pitched noises she is well-known for.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, how will this change the interactions between Yume and Nijimura? How about a certain redhead?_


	25. Chapter 24 - A bolt from the blue

2nd chapter~!

 _ **To Silver Moon:**_ What can I say? Thanks a whole lot! And yeah, I took note of the tenses and I changed the last two chapters, starting from this one I stick to past tenses. Tell me if I did it wrong. I actually like the idea of the high school arc, I started this story to delve deeper into the characters' interactions, and as you said it, the outcomes are limitless. Which is why it's confusing to fit the plots at times, hha. Again, attraction will be subtle. They're middle-schoolers after all.

 _ **To NerdyPengy:**_ Glad you like it! I tried, but the KnB characters still escaped me sometimes. These three chapters mainly revolved around two people's interactions with Yume, one of which is Akashi, so I think you'll enjoy it!

 _ **To angela340278:**_ Thanks! And no worries, I'm not planning on abandoning any of my stories. It's just that 'kibun tenkan' things? Well, the next update will be next week~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 24 - A bolt from the blue**

The bustling rowdy students were bustling from places to places with either messages or materials on hands and there was almost no vicinity in Teikō that was free from noise during this period. One would think that there was no escape. Manai Yume found it differently as she weaved her way through the crowds without actually paying attention to where she was going.

Yume was dazed. Her mind was filled with her previous exchange and she was not sure what to feel. The noisy corridors did not affect her thoughts in any ways. So distracted she was, she failed to realise that her bestfriend had been in a strangely good mood even before she found her.

Good mood is an understatement. Momoi practically had flowers blooming around her, complete with star sparkles. The huge knowing smile on her face with the occasional squeals at curiously nothing only confirmed her state of bliss. To bystanders, it appeared as if the girl was floating instead of walking.

Momoi covertly glanced at her brunette friend before she squealed loudly, earning her more than a few bewildered stares. This finally snapped the disoriented girl from her reverie. With a shake of her head, she levelled a curious stare at her pinkette friend. "..Sat-chan? Did something good happen?" she asked with bewilderment.

"Ehh? What are you talking about, Yuu-chan? I'm _always_ like this!" she exclaimed, pretending innocence while smiling that knowing smile of hers. At her friend's suspicious gaze, she waved off her hand. "Really! It's nothing important!"

Had Yume the space on her brain to entertain Momoi and whatever silliness of hers at the moment, she would have asked further. As a matter of fact, she only quirked her brow in confusion, but pursued it no more. If it was something she needed to know then she trusted her friend to tell her.

Besides, there're lots to-do for her. For starter, Yume had to submit the clubs' paperworks to her _beloved_ President. She had the feeling that the redhead was waiting for her at the Student Council office with that unnerving smile of his. She had to be quick since she was also needed at her class for preparations, something about an animal-cafe?

She sighed in defeat. "Sat-chan... I'll see you later? I need to give this to Akashi-kun.." she frowned unhappily, hugging the papers to her chest.

In any other situation, the pinkette would complain and insist on company. "Oh? Okay! Then I'll see you in class, Yuu-chan!" she grinned before waving her hand and skipped away like a children high on sugar, successfully confusing the brunette even more.

Yume shook her thoughts away, sighing as she did so. She did that often lately. Fate seemed intent on messing up her school life and she fell for it every single time. She refrained another sigh as she slid the door to the Student Council office. Apparently, only the person she needed to see was present.

A knowing smile crossed his features as Akashi took in the state of the girl by the door. When she finally stood before his desk, he urged her report with a simple motion. "Go on." he said curtly.

The brunette handed the paperworks she collected before she adjusted her posture. "Everything is in order, Akashi-kun. I compiled all of the events on the files." she reported.

"Also... The budget matters with the Choir Club is settled. Regarding the event held by the 1st strings of the Basketball Club… N-Nijimura-san told me Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun had known, so I only got the list."

Akashi didn't miss how his Treasurer stammered on a certain name of his senpai nor did he miss the slight tint of her cheeks. Something _did_ happen after all, as he predicted it. He was aware of how the girl desperately avoided the other and decided to step in. His senpai was kind of out of it these days, so he found it necessary to mediate the two.

"Good job, Manai-san. Is there anything else I need to know?" he questioned her in a professional tone.

"None at the moment."

The redhead nodded, feeling satisfied. "I see. You can go help with your class' preparations, Manai-san. We are done here." he told her.

Yume bowed and turned on her heels, she was about to step out of the office when she heard the distinct voice of her President. "Personally, I think a deer suits Manai-san most." he spoke, his tone laced with amusement.

The statement was lost on her. It seemed so sudden and weird until the realisation hit her in the head. 1-B was hosting an animal-themed cafe. Something about which animal suits the students most to wear during the festival.

Still, she was confused. It's true that she hadn't decided on which animal yet, but why a _deer?_ "...Do I... remind you of a deer?" she asked, hesitantly meeting the piercing ruby eyes.

Akashi flashed her his trademark smirk. "Manai-san is naïve and docile, almost like a frightened deer. There is also the famous saying, _'deer caught in the headlights'_. I think it described you best."

 _Ah._ She really shouldn't have expected otherwise from the redhead. Yume was disgruntled on the inside, while on the outside, her eyes twitched. A sadist, that's what the redhead was. "Please excuse me." she spoke before she left the room slightly annoyed.

In contrast to her grumpy mood, the redhead was amused. He chuckled to himself, finding it entertaining to ruffle the girl's feathers. Akashi enjoyed the reactions he got out of her. Of course he wasn't joking when he said a deer would suit her. Not overly cute, a bit on the plain side, but hiding a certain depth within.

* * *

The sight that greeted Yume when she entered her class was of Momoi in a white rabbit-ears with pink lobes. She looked adorable and just huggable. Her friend wasn't the only one in the animal-get-up, but others paled in comparison to the pinkette. Sometimes, she wondered why the pinkette wasn't a model. The girl received numerous offers when they went out together.

"Yuu-chan!" Momoi squealed when she spotted her bestfriend who was staring at her with wide peridot eyes. "Do I look nice? Do I? Do I?" she chanted in excitement, turning 360 degrees to show off her new looks, her rabbit ears flapping around as she did so.

What thoughts Yume had vanished at her friend's antic. She smiled indulgently. "Mm. You look nice, Sat-chan. It suits you." she complimented while eyeing the white ears on her head.

"Thanks!" Momoi grinned widely. "Oh, and here!" she pulled out another set of ears and pushed it to the brunette's face. "I picked this out for you, Yuu-chan! Isn't it cute? I just know this will definitely suit you best!" she held the pair out expectantly.

A light brown ears with white spots, and a pair of ivory horns in the middle of the headband; _deer._

Another twitch. _Of all things to choose from..,_ Yume thought with mixed feelings, _she just had to choose the same one_ _ **he**_ _chose._ She wasn't sure if she should take it as a compliment or a joke, seeing as two different people told her the same thing without knowing.

Yume was curious. Was she really deer-like? Unlike Akashi, Momoi certainly meant well. The redhead on the other hand, seemed intent on making fun of her.

"Momoi-san? Manai-san? Can we get some help here?" a classmate of hers called.

The two girls whirled at that. "Oh, sure." they replied before approaching their classmates. Even still, the pinkette didn't forget to dump the pair of ears to her bestfriend who took it hesitantly.

Teikō's Cultural Festival required each class to participate in the festival by showcasing some types of event. The usual would be cafes, haunted houses, or food stands. Often times, the students get creative and held a different event instead. Their aim was the same however; to win the prize. It changed every year, but without a doubt, _desirable_.

In Teikō, the grading system was that the class that earned the most, won the rewards. It was usually some kind of privileges, like choosing the destination of the school trips, or exemption from cleaning duties. Last year's was a month-worth, luxury lunch vouchers for the school's cafeteria. Witnesses claimed that the elusive **matsutake** was in the menus.

"So what's your class doing?" Aomine casually threw the question as he walked with his arms folded behind his head. "Mine was Haunted House, I think. Got the props-making job." he grimaced. "..boring and too much work." he muttered in dismay.

Unfortunately for him, he shouldn't have said the last words at all. Because his childhood friend heard it loud and clear. "What's that, Dai-chan? Are you dumping your responsibility on someone else?!" she demanded, jerking the teen from his slouch.

"N-No! There're more than enough people to make the stupid props! I'm needed at the club!" he defended as he backed away, trying to keep the advancing pinkette away.

Momoi narrowed her eyes skeptically, she spotted the lie when he said it. "I know you're lying to me, Dai-chan! I'll tell the teachers if you skip tomorrow!" she threatened, intent on following her words.

"Che." Aomine clicked his tongue petulantly as he resumed walking, leaving his companies behind. "You're being annoying, Satsuki." he grouched.

"Oh no, you don't! You're being irresponsible and I'm telling your mother about this!" Momoi fumed, standing her ground with her hands on her hips. That better changed his mind.

And changed his mind he did. As soon as the word 'mother' fell out of the girl's lips, he froze where he stood and cold sweats began to form. "...Y-You wouldn't..." he croaked in disbelief.

"You know I would." Momoi smirked triumphantly, feeling proud of herself. Of course the great Aomine Daiki feared his mother, that fact would never change.

After what seemed like forever, the tanned teen sighed in defeat as he slumped. "...All right. You win, Satsuki..." he grumbled.

The whole exchange earned an amused chuckle from the caramel-haired girl. It's been a while since the three teens walked home together whenever there wasn't club practice and every single time, the two childhood friends would bicker over small details. And since it was the Cultural Festival this weekend, there was no club activities for the whole week. It always amused her and she would just watch and laugh. She tried to mediate the two once, but not twice. From experience, they were better left alone. Besides, their various expressions were just entertaining.

...Which was likely the _same_ reason why the redhead liked to tease her. He probably found her reactions funny. Somehow, Yume found it disturbing and her giggles ceased almost immediately.

Unaware of this, Momoi continued the conversation. "Anyway, to answer your question, our class is doing animal-ears cafe with classic theme. Yuu-chan and I are waitresses!" she jumped with excitement, grinning as she pictured the both of them in the adorable animal-get-ups.

Amidst this, the brunette was silent as she was mulling over a certain redhead's tendencies to toy with her. Aomine glanced at the two girls as he hummed enigmatically, his thoughts wandering. Then seemingly out of nowhere, he sighed. Which offended Momoi.

"What's with that, Dai-chan? Do you have something to say?" she asked with a frown, glaring at the taller boy in ire as her eyes twitched.

Aomine gave the girl a side glance before he shrugged. "Nah." he replied boredly.

His lack of response prompted the pinkette to pout indignantly. "Hmph. You better do your job properly, Dai-chan!" she pestered him since she was dissatisfied with his reply.

"Yeah, yeah..." Aomine drawled lazily, not bothering to look at the girl as he answered.

Momoi was even more irritated, a tick formed on her temple. "I'm serious!" she cried, stomping after her childhood friend.

This time, instead of chuckling, Yume sighed. If this was how Akashi felt whenever she panicked in front of him, then she begrudgingly understood his reason. This and that were different however. Now that she knew, she would strive to _completely_ mask her expressions.

The same routine continued for five days. And finally, on the weekend, Teikō held a 2-days Cultural Festival.

* * *

 _Saturday, First day of Teikō's Cultural Festival_

With the D-day upon them, the students were making final checks of their preparations before the gate was officially opened for the guests to enter. The same applied for the Student Council members, Akashi had told them that there was to be a meeting before the festival began.

So first thing in the morning, Yume headed to the Student Council office after she dropped her bag at her classroom. The first two members present, without questions asked, were Akashi and Midorima. Then three minutes later, the 2nd years, Takeda and Kuga arrived.

"First, I would like to thank you for being here on time. As we are tight on time, I will go straight to the point. Please keep watch of the students during the festival. In case of troubles, alert the Disciplinary Committee who should be patrolling in each floor."

All of them nodded in understanding at their President's speech. They knew that there would be a lot of guests and the Disciplinary Committee wouldn't be able to monitor every nook-and-crannies, so they didn't complain with the redhead's order.

Akashi nodded in assent. "Good. Finally, I would like to thank you all for your hard works. Good luck for all of us." he smiled.

And for the very first time, that smile wasn't the slightest bit oppressive nor threatening that the members were used to, especially for a certain brunette. It was just... a smile.

The gentle encouragement worked wonder for Kuga and Takeda, while Midorima only adjusted his glasses and Yume blinking in disbelief. As they were about to leave, their President asked one of them to stay as he had something else to say.

"Manai-san, can you stay for a while? There's something you need to know. I assure you it won't take long." Akashi smiled. His _usual_ smile this time.

Despite her apprehension, Yume agreed. "Uh... sure." she replied in slight reluctance.

Midorima raised his brow at this, but didn't comment. He only gave the two teens a curious glance before he exited the room and left them alone. This was Akashi after all, there's nothing for him to be worried of. And no, he was _not_ concerned.

After the footsteps of the Student Council members receded and could no longer be heard, the redhead smiled in a way that creeped the girl somehow, and she back-stepped instinctively. To any other females, that smile would appear heavenly and enhance his good looks. But to Yume, it said _'proceed with utmost caution'_.

Akashi didn't bother to address her reactions, he didn't seem bothered. "Miyazawa-san came looking for you to the office yesterday. You wasn't in, so she left me with a message intended for you." he informed, noting how the brunette tensed slightly at the mention of the ravenette.

"'The Choir Club would definitely display a dazzling performance on the Cultural Festival! We will earn both the school and students' recognitions! Then we will win those excellence awards from the national and international competitions!'" he quoted with less vigour than how the girl delivered it to him.

"She also invited us to the performance. By us, I mean the Student Council members. The Choir Club will be performing on both days, so she expect your attendance, Manai-san. Miyazawa-san specifically emphasised on your name." Akashi smiled amusedly, watching for the girl's lack of reactions.

"I see." Yume sweatdropped, but showed nothing else. "I understand. I will be in attendance." she nodded with a small smile. Maybe she should invite Momoi to come along, she seemed like she would enjoy it. Aomine... she wasn't sure. For what she knew, the tanned boy wasn't the aesthetic-type. He wouldn't like it.

"Before you leave." Akashi cut to her thoughts, meeting the pair of pacifying limegreen orbs. "Are you familiar with the annual Stamp Rally event, Manai-san?" he asked in indiscernible tone.

The topic itself wasn't anything noteworthy, but the way he said it... Now that was _something_. Yume had to remind herself not to give in to her discomfort and itches on her feet that were telling her to make a run for it. She managed a wary nod, not believing her voice at the moment.

Akashi smiled, his eyes forming crescents. "There's the popular belief going around about the pair of boy-girl winning 1st place will be a happy couple."

 _Uh... Okay?_ It's indeed a new information for her, but Yume still failed to see the importance of it. Akashi didn't seem like the person who would talk of something as irrelevant as a rumour, much less spread it. _So why...?_

"Do you want to participate in the race with me, Manai-san?" and there went the thunder. Akashi smirked cheekily as he finally got out a reaction out of the brunette.

Yume had no doubt that the redhead must be feeling smug inwardly at his success despite her internal struggle at keeping her expressions in check. She couldn't see herself, but her face was definitely scarlet, her eyes wide in bewilderment and everything about her must be _amusing_. Even her response was a mess.

 _"I-I'm b-busy! V-Very very busy! I-I have lots of s-shift to cover a-and it's_ _ **definitely**_ _,_ _ **absolutely**_ _,_ _ **utterly**_ _and_ _ **completely**_ _impossible!"_ she screeched in a frequency she wasn't aware she was capable of.

Now she was back-stepping, her gaze glued to the floor and she gave in to her instinct to escape. "I-If t-that's all, I-I'm needed at my class. T-Thank you and good bye!" she quickly scurried away, speed walking towards her classroom because running in the corridors was frowned upon and she didn't need the authority to remind her of it.

After he could no longer see nor hear the girl, Akashi allowed himself a lighthearted chuckle as he recalled her panicky state. It's a good thing he was alone, because he actually laughed out loud in his amusement. When the laughters subsided, he let out a soft whisper for him to hear.

 _"How cute..."_

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, things are changing between Yume and her friends! Will it be the end, or will there be more?_


	26. Chapter 25 - Speed of love is measured

3rd chapter~!

 _ **To Guest:**_ I like their interactions too! It's one of the things that actually liven up the characters. Kuroko's next appearance is already planned, but I'm not sure about Kise's in the Cultural Festival arc.. I was just thinking of mentioning him in a passing. Should I include Kise?

 _ **To Shiori:**_ Another AkaYume here! First, and again, attraction will be subtle. And I personally think a single person won't suffice for his happiness, so all of his friends will participate! Oh, yes, I have lots of ideas, not sure if you would find them interesting though. Too many in fact that I'm not sure to position the scenes~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 25 - Speed of love is measured in blushes per hour.**

Teikō's Cultural Festival was bustling with various activities and the students were having fun as did the guests. Every year, hundreds of potential students were entranced with how lively the festival was. Everywhere was filled with laughters and friendly noises. Despite its high prestige, Teikō offered every students an equal chance at attempting the entrance exams. Admission however, would depend on the student's performance and of course, talents.

On this day, Teikō's gate was open for every person to venture and see. To those who failed to enter the renowned establishment at the beginning of the school year, it was the day to relieve themselves of their past resolve and a chance for them to earn recognition through the many clubs' challenge to prove the challenger's worth. It wasn't unusual for a new student to transfer sometime after the Cultural Festival. In truth, there're actually scouts wandering around the ground seeking for hidden talents that would be beneficial for the institution.

In these happy times, a certain redhead was having the time of his life while the subject of his amusement was berating herself for reacting in a way the redhead wanted her to. It was a _joke!_ She knew it with absolute certainty, but it still took her by surprise when Mr. Perfect actually had the audacity to verbalise it.

Her embarrassment morphed into slight anger and annoyance when she recalled that satisfied look on his face. He toyed with her! Akashi Seijūrō was enjoying her mortification. Even in her emotional state, Yume still couldn't help the shivers when the image of the regal redhead came to mind.

Thankfully, the ever-cheerful-Momoi made her appearance as she neared her classroom. "Yuu-chan! You're done? Oh, well! Let's change! We're opening soon after this!" she spoke excitedly.

Yume flashed a grateful smile to her bestfriend. Any anxieties and worries she had was washed off completely. She nodded. "Mm. Is everyone here?"

The one to answer her was her classmate. "Manai-san! You're finally here! Get in and change! You're the last one!" she motioned for the two girls to hurry since Momoi insisted to wait for Yume.

The pinkette grinned and snatched the brunette's hand as she pulled them both to grab their outfits before heading off to the girl's restroom to change. Following the class' unanimous decision, Momoi was a definite waitress for her attractiveness as one of the cafe's sell-points. The girl was dense however, so only her friend got the idea.

Momoi and Yume's class, 1-B, decided to open a cafe with sweet-classy themes and the employees were wearing animal-ears that best suited their personality. For practical reasons, the chefs were not included. Also, due to the pinkette strong demands, her friend was also made waitress when she was better off as a chef.

The choices were; both as waitresses or both as chefs. And after a round of trial-run, the whole class decided that the second choice was out of the question if they were to open a cafe with _edible_ foods to serve the customers. The brunette was as perfect for the job as her friend was not.

Anyway, Momoi had cute bunny-ears, baby pink in colour with white earlobes. She was wearing the same colour for her dress. While Yume had adorable deer-ears and tiny horns, light brown in colour with white spots. She was wearing the same colour for her top and bottom. In the end, she did end up with the deer-ears and she still had mixed feelings about it.

On a side note, 1-A was doing the ever-popular Butler Cafe to showcase their shares of good-looking boys, 1-C with the classic Haunted House and the help of a ghostly presence, while 1-D had a unique Photo-booth Stand complete with props and costumes. There were many other food stands and fairs as every classes and nearly all clubs participated as the former was mandatory.

The Choir Club was holding an afternoon performance in the auditorium after the Drama Club's play. The 1st string of the Basketball Club had a Teach-and-Learn Basketball experience with Teikō first stringers. The 2nd string was a Compete with Teikō's second stringers in a shooting competition. While the 3rd string was an Escape-the-Maze, partnered with the third stringers to find clues and exited the maze.

With so many events going on, it was no doubt that the hallways were flooded with people and the noise level was the highest since the school year.

As suspected, 1-B's Animal-Ears Cafe had quite a bunch of customers vying for a certain pinkette who looked absolutely stunning and adorable in her rabbit-get-up. While that was expected, it seemed that a certain deer earned herself few stares as well. Then again, all the waitresses did. It wasn't until noon that the two girls were cleared off their shifts and done for the day.

Yume had initially decided to shed off her whole animal-get-up before walking around the festival, but at Momoi's insistence and puppy-eyes, reluctantly kept her deer-ears while the pinkette herself wore her rabbit-earls proudly. It also worked as advertising for their class and since her classmates were working hard to aim for the win, she couldn't refuse when the idea was brought up.

"Ah, Sat-chan." Yume turned to her friend who hummed. She averted her gaze uneasily as she played with her fingers. "Tomorrow... Do you want to go watch the Choir Club's performance with me...?" she braved a side glance at the pinkette.

Momoi paused noticeably, her eyes wide. The sudden silence unnerved the brunette slightly, before she beamed. "Of course! It's the first time you invited me to something, Yuu-chan!" she replied vibrantly, her pink eyes sparkling with bliss.

The positive response relieved her. For a moment there, she thought her friend would refuse. Rejection hurt. That's one reason why Yume treaded cautiously even in a friendly relationship. Because sometimes, even the smallest details could ruin the strongest bond.

"Oh, right. Yuu-chan, do you want to check out the boys' class? Dai-chan's doing Haunted House... I think I'll skip that. Mu-kkun's is Butler Cafe, right? Midorin and Akashi-kun too." Momoi suggested as the two loitered around aimlessly, glancing left and right to see the various stands.

The moment the redhead's name left Momoi's lips, she flinched and could only hope the pinkette didn't notice it. She quickly shot down the idea though. "U-Uh.. I'd rather not, Sat-chan..." she trailed off unsurely. At her friend's questioning stare, she tried to look for an alternative.

"I-Instead..! Why don't we go to the Basketball Club 3rd strings' Maze? A f-friend of mine was a member..." Yume met the girl's eyes this time, hoping that her reluctance before didn't shine through. She wasn't lying, she was indeed interested in Kuroko's club. And she would like to avoid the redhead for as long as she could until she couldn't anymore.

Fortunately, Momoi was under the impression that the brunette was flustered for a different reason. She would usually analyse the situation more accurately, but what she witnessed days ago influenced her line of thoughts. She smiled knowingly, almost like a maniac. "Eh..? Friend? Are you sure he's not your crush, Yuu-chan?" she asked teasingly.

The mere thought of her and the babyblue-haired boy interacting in such a way had her head exploded and her cheeks hot. "N-No!" she denied amidst her stuttering. "He's just a friend!" she blushed beet red.

Of course she wasn't convinced, instead she further believed the romantic ideas. Momoi didn't push it though, because she had an idea of her own. "It's okay~! Let's go to the 3rd Gym then. But! We will go to the 1st Gym after we're done there, okay?" she grinned.

Thankful that her bestfriend dropped the subject, she only nodded without asking why the 1st Gym. Her guess was since it's her club, also the boys'. Perhaps she wanted to check on her trouble-magnet of a childhood friend, to make sure he wasn't slacking off. She could only hope that a certain member's shift wouldn't coincide with her time of visit.

On the other hand, Momoi felt relieved at the prospect of her shy friend interacting with her peers outside of the small social circle she introduced the brunette into. Since this 'friend' was a part of the Basketball Club, no doubt he was a boy. A member of the 3rd string? His basketball skill mustn't be good then. That didn't reflect any of his personality though, so for now, she would give him the benefit of doubt.

Yes... Momoi had _other_ things in mind at the moment. Her smile grew as her brows began wiggling in a suggestive manner. And it involved a certain brunette. "Oh~! I can't wait! You must meet him, Yuu-chan!" she sang-sung, skipping happily on her feet.

Confusion coloured her face as she contemplated her friend's statement. Him? Was she referring to the first years group that were her friends-acquaintances? Or was it Kuroko? Which him was it? There was no other him... was there?

The grin on her face stretched to her ears at the thought of her bestfriend and a certain ravenette senpai. Momoi **saw** it. The two teens' dreamy interactions. And now she felt responsible to push the two together after witnessing such heartfelt moments. Said 2nd year had his shift around this time, so he would be there along with the 1st years boys. It's the perfect cover.

 _Woman's intuition..._ was a motto Momoi Satsuki lived by. And her intuition was tingling when she saw the teens together. There was something else between them. Something more. The chance for her to test her match-making skills had arrived.

'Yuu-chan and Nijimura-san would make a lovely couple!' Momoi hummed happily, barely repressing her inner urge to squeal. In her excitement, she clasped the brunette's hand - not too tight but not loose enough for the girl to slid off her hold - and sped off towards the gyms. The latter was bewildered, but was already used to her friend's behaviour when she was _high_.

On another note, the two girls attracted quite a handful of stares from people along the roads. Obviously, the animal-ears decorating their head was the major cause. Even without those, the pinkette had her fair shares of blatant stares. Yume had to swallow her embarrassment as a walking public display while letting Momoi tugged her forward as her gaze was casted on the ground to avoid catching anyone's eyes.

Yume couldn't help but wonder how her pinkette friend could be so dense to realise the attention she received whenever she walked by. Like now, Momoi only strolled past the crowds without even glancing around. Was it because she was used to it? Or maybe the girl was just an airhead when romantic feelings were involved?

With Momoi's super speed, they soon arrived at the 3rd Gym. The place was nicely decorated and they could see the front of the huge maze with the club members standing by the entrance. It wasn't overly crowded, but there're still few numbers of customers waiting in line. Yume recognised one of the members standing from her last visit, the 3rd string's Captain, Kawada Eiji.

"Ano... Kawada-san?" she called out hesitantly, seeking the comfort of her friend's hold as she slowly approached the older boy.

Kawada turned at his name and his eyes lit up in recognition when he met the refreshing green pools. "Manai-san. Hello there." he smiled. His eyes then wandered to the faux ears on her head. "Uh..." he blinked in bewilderment. If it was any other days he would have asked what's with those were, but since it's currently the Cultural Festival, he didn't.

As usual, Momoi wasn't bothered with the curious gazes while Yume was thankful he didn't question her about the ears. It was embarrassing enough. "Err... I-Is Kuroko-kun here...?" she asked, sincerely wanting to escape the attentions soon.

"Kuroko?" Kawada echoed. He scrunched as he tried hard to recall the hardly noticeable boy. When his efforts were fruitless, he swiped the list on the desk beside him. "Oh, here he is. Kuroko's shift starts at 2. That's one hour from now." he informed with a small grin.

The revelation instantly deflated her mood. And here Yume was planning to postpone the dreaded meeting with the redhead who was without an ounce of doubt, present at her next destination. She was dejected she missed Kuroko, but was more annoyed that she had to follow through her words to her bestfriend.

Momoi was going through her mind database, looking for a specific data of a boy with the name 'Kuroko'. She didn't find any, to her exasperation. An investigation was in order. First though, she had something to see. "Are we done here? Can we go to the 1st Gym now, Yuu-chan?" she asked sweetly, her excitement bubbling within.

"...Sure..." she finally had given up hope while trying hard to keep her tone neutral. Although, if she knew her bestfriend well enough, then she didn't notice a thing. Momoi was observant, when she was in her right mind. Yume forced a smile at the older male. "Thank you, Kawada-san." she thanked him with a small nod.

Kawada nodded with a grin. The girls then went on their merry way for one, skipping as she neared their location and trudging for the other, her steps appeared difficult and heavy with each steps she was forced to take after her friend's happy paces. Yume was very much hoping to miss the redhead. He was a busy student after all, with how his class had garnered tonnes of customers who were there to soothe their weary eyes.

But of course. In the end, hope was merely that; _**hope**_. The moment a familiar crimson tuft was spotted amongst the other colourful heads, said hope was mercilessly crushed.

"Minna!" Momoi greeted the group cheerfully, her hand upped in the air while the other was busy leading her friend. She stopped before the boys who were looking at her curiously, mostly her head. She twirled. "Cute, isn't it?" she prompted.

The first one to speak his opinion was the tallest of the group as he munched on what treats he had on hands. "Cute, Momo-chin. Mana-chin too. Like macaroons." he commented, his mind wandering to the sweet and tasty desserts the girls reminded him of.

Midorima scoffed. "You look ridiculous. I expected better from you, Manai. You both aren't children. Aren't you embarrassed?" he frowned at them, his one hand on his glasses while the other was preciously holding a den-den daiko. **(1)**

In response, all of the teens levelled him a long stare as if to question his intelligence. They all recalled the day when a certain greenhead carried an adorable rabbit plushie everywhere he went. And he himself was currently in possession of a kid's toy. They wondered if the Cancer boy even realised what he said.

Aomine shook his head, deeming the Shooting Guard a lost cause. He turned to his childhood friend. "You do look childish, Satsuki. Why wear them here?" he arched his brow. He wasn't really curious, just not wanting to deal with the greenhead's eccentricity.

"Advertising, obviously!" she chirped, not even the slightest bit offended. Everyone here knew that Midorima was just awkward and tended to spout hurtful words without actually meaning to. The popular belief around was that the greenhead was a 'tsundere'. And Aomine was just being Aomine.

Momoi engaged in a lighthearted conversation with the boys, smiling and giggling as she spoke. Her childhood friend had realised early that the girl was currently in a mood where the sun was shining and rainbows were painting the clear blue sky. In other words, this would be the time to apologise for his mistakes and leave unscathed. The perfect opportunity, yet Aomine didn't think he had done something of such scale lately.

All the while, the other animal-ears wearing girl was trying to steer clear out of everyone's line of sight. Reason being the intent gaze she felt boring into her head. Akashi and Yume hadn't said a word since the latter's arrival, but he had that triumphant smirk as soon as he saw that brown accessory on her head. Of course he didn't choose wrong. But she would be damned before she admitted. Her little bit of pride wouldn't let her to.

The redhead was so determined to get her attention that she was actually thinking to cave in, only for a familiar voice to do so first. "You four... It's your shifts! People were lining up, get back to work!" he scolded.

Nijimura had a scary expression on his face as he approached the first year boys, some gulped at his entrance and the black aura oozing out from his posture. "Aomine. I've been telling you again and again... Teach, you _idiot_!Do your job properly!" he snarked pointedly.

The tanned teen had actually begun his shift earlier than any of his peers. He actually botched out his class's Haunted House to be in the gym soon after the gate was opened. Although, instead of teaching basketball, he was playing. The boy couldn't really be bothered with long lessons, he was just impatient. 8 out of 10, he left his mentees in the dust and played by himself.

"And Midorima." Nijimura resumed his lectures, this time facing another individual, his tone disapproving as the younger male flinched imperceptibly. "How can you teach when you're holding that _stupid_ thing?!" he angrily pointed at the toy in his hand.

Nijimura had known his kōhai's weird behaviours involving a random items every single day. But he so wished that the boy would call it a temporary quit at least during the festival. The club needed all the help they could get. Teikō's Basketball Club was a reputed powerhouse in the middle school district. After the match where the first years played, they were even in the spotlight. This year, the club had at least twice the amount of the customers last. And it's still the first day.

"...Murasakibara.." his tone was bordering fatigue now, his stern posture was slouched as the addressed boy merely blinked in response. "Please... just stop eating.." he nearly begged.

Even during practice times, Nijimura had extreme difficulties to get the taller boy to listen when his snacks were involved. The more he talked, the less he listened. And even his infamous hotheadedness lost in the face of the aloof and uncaring purplehead. He had given up to tell Murasakibara to stop leaving crumbs in his trail. Akashi was the only one capable for the job to subjugate the giant.

In his exasperation with his kōhais, the ravenette wasn't aware of the extra presences amongst the group of teens. One was delighted at his appearance, as he was the person she was looking forward to see. The other perked up at his voice and her gaze slid over to him, heat rising up her cheeks.

As if sensing the heat radiating off her face, the older male then turned at her. He noticed her reddened cheeks first; nothing unusual as of now. Then his eyes roved up to what lied on top of her head; _deer ears._

The brownish leathers with white spots coupled with mini ivory horns complimented her honey-amber tresses, almost as if they belonged there in the first place. Lime-green pools blinking at him bashfully, staring straight into his onyx orbs with clear hesitation but showing no signs of averting her gaze. Healthy shades of red brushed her pale complexion, accentuating her babyish features.

Needless to say, Nijimura was throughly surprised – a nice surprise nonetheless. He felt his own cheeks warmed as they gazed into each other's eyes, captivated. He could hear the irregular rhythm of his heartbeats, how it was abnormally slow as if time itself had slowed down. He knew the cause. He suspected the reason. But he wasn't sure if it was what he thought it was.

 _'Manai Yume... what had you done to me...?'_

* * *

 _ **(1) Den-den daiko:**_ _Japanese pellet drum. It has two heads and is suspended on a rod, with beads or pellets hanging on thread on either sides of the body of the drum. (Wikipedia)_

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, someone realised that there's something new! Will Yume venture the unfamiliar path or will she stop advancing?_


	27. Chapter 26 - Tomorrow is tomorrow, today

A chapter after a long break(?). Uhh, I have assignments to do, so I can't promise an update soon. But if my assignments are finished, I can start typing the plots I already thought of. For now, there will be one update on this and My Dignified Imouto. Sorry about this!

 _ **To**_ _ **lili:**_ Thank youu! And yes, Haizaki will be part of the story like the canon, but it will differ here and there. He will probably be in the later chapters.

 _ **To Guest97:**_ Hi again to you! You must be the one I heard most often from, hha! I like reading your long reviews, so no worries about that. Well, only time can tell where will NijiYume goes to. I want to make Yume someone the Generation of Miracles can talk equally with, someone they respect as she is. Romance will probably come after that~ And the awaited AoYume is on the way! Hope to hear from you soon!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 26 - Tomorrow is tomorrow, today is today**

The muffled noises of squeaks and swishes did little to perturb the silent exchange between the two teenagers who were lost in their own whirlpool of thoughts as they gazed into the other's soul, entranced.

It wasn't until a quiet cough echoed through the room did they snap out of their trance and looked away. They didn't know who made the noise but didn't question it. After all, they were still feeling the slight disorientation from the disconnection.

Another cough, this time from Nijimura. He fought down his blush as he attempted a small grin at the girls. "Yo. Manai, Momoi." he lifted his hand in the air, acting nonchalant. Because whatever just happened, he didn't want to be again avoided by a certain brunette, which by the rate he was going, might just happened.

"Nijimura-san!" Momoi returned the greeting enthusiastically, her pink eyes twinkling with mischief and something unreadable. She squeezed the brunette's hand as if to hint her.

Yume wasn't sure what the pinkette expected from her, but she did raise her gaze to greet the ravenette. After their previous talk, she didn't want for him to misunderstand and think that she was avoiding him still. And after whatever had just happened, she was about to, actually. But the image of the ravenette's troubled look flashed through her mind, and she decided against it.

So she managed a small smile, trying to maintain her countenance as she greeted him. "Nijimura-san, Konnichiwa." she uttered softly.

"What's with the animal concept?" he asked with a playful smirk, eyeing the faux ears on his kōhais' head, which he now realised was worn by not only the quiet brunette.

Momoi was the one to answer, happy that he asked. "It's our class' theme! Yuu-chan and I are waitresses, so we had to wear them! Our shifts are over for the day though. So you should visit tomorrow, senpai!" she spoke gleefully.

"Sure. I'll see if I'm free." he replied with a shrug. He didn't see why he couldn't pay a short visit. Well, naughty thoughts aside. To exorcise his mind, he quickly turned to his male kōhais. "Okay, boys. Back to work." he had one of his hand on his hip and the other gesturing backwards at the queue.

Their reactions were almost predictable; Aomine sighed and trudged begrudgingly, Midorima marched onwards with a frown as he held on to his precious, Murasakibara went with his snacks on hands while munching another stick of pocky, only Akashi nodded with a courteous smile before he left.

As the boys went, Nijimura was contemplating whether to stay and keep the girls company, or head off to work. His shift had just ended so he was free, but as he had said earlier, the club needed all the help they could get. Heck, he didn't even mind borrowing a cat's paw. **(1)**

He eventually decided to offer a conversation, since it would be rude if he just left. "So, uh..." he began hesitantly. "Do you girls want to try? Basketball lessons, I mean." Nijimura loosely motioned to the various pairs scattered around the court, each pair with their own orange bouncy ball.

Momoi shook her head. "I don't think I would." she refused, then out of the blue, grinned as she raised the interlinked hand with her friend. "But Yuu-chan would!" she exclaimed to the other's bewilderment.

"No! I-I mean..." the brunette wondered what she did to deserve this, everything about today was particularly troublesome. "...I prefer watching..." she quickly fixed her words, her gaze glued on the wooden tiles.

Too bad Momoi had an idea of her own and she wouldn't hear anything about it. She knew what she was doing; a puppy-eyed look on her bestfriend and she was sold. "Come onnn, Yuu-chan! Won't it be nice if we can play together sometimes? I always wanted a girl friend to play basketball with. Dai-chan doesn't count!" she batted her eyelashes pleadingly, grinning inwardly when she saw how the other female back-tracked.

If there was one thing the pink-haired girl learned about getting her way with her bestfriend, it was that her puppy-eyes worked wonders. She was aware of it. The brunette even more. Still, said girl could never refuse until it's too late. Momoi was simply too good at this kind of stuffs. The trembling lips and watery eyes were especially persuasive. Coupled with her silver tongue, it's checkmate.

So what else could she said other then yes? Yume wanted to grimace at her friend, really. She found herself twisted in the pinkette's fingers these days. "...Okay. But just a little..." she relented weakly.

A tug at his lips showed that the ravenette was amused with what he was seeing. Nijimura didn't expect that out of all people, Momoi would be the one the brunette was subservient to. It appeared the deer-eared girl was weak against her friend.

Momoi clapped her hands in satisfaction, smiling widely. "Great! Then Nijimura-san, can you show Yuu-chan the ropes?" her tone suggested something.

That didn't rest well with Yume, and her blush returned in full-force. "Sat-chan!" she chided her friend before facing her senpai. "Y-You didn't have to..." she whispered.

"That's fine with me." Nijimura replied, trying and failing to act nonchalant about the whole situation. A faint blush covering his cheeks. He tried to hide it, but the sharp-eyed pinkette didn't miss it.

Momoi was about to explode with girly giggles and squeals at the two teen's adorable interactions. She would save it for when she was alone, in her bedroom. For now, she would burn these romantic scenes to her brain.

Often the brunette wondered what went through her friend's mind. She caught the pinkette grinning and giggling maniacally more often than not, then her pink eyes would glint mischievously. It's really unnerving. Because more times than she liked it, the idea she came up with was plain disastrous, for her or a certain tanned teen.

The Basketball lessons came with a set of sport jersey and a water tumbler, prepared by the club itself to maximise the learning experience, for a suitable cost obviously. As the manager, Momoi had one herself, which she lent to the brunette. She was the one to push her into the court after all. So while Yume changed, her friend waited on the bench by the court.

"Okay. Let's start, Manai." Nijimura spoke first, breaking the awkward tension with the smallest of grins. He dribbled the orange ball once before lightly passing it to the distracted girl. Thankfully, she was conscious enough to notice the incoming ball and caught it with only the slightest fumble.

"...Yes." she replied timidly.

Even as her blush subsided, Yume still felt hesitant to meet the ravenette's eyes. She did tell herself to focus on his lessons so she wouldn't be bothered with her thoughts. And thankfully, it was working for her.

Since she was young, Yume could only focus on one thing and the rest forgotten. In fact, multi-tasking was beyond her. She could do it to a degree of satisfaction, but definitely not to perfection like a certain redhead she knew.

It was probably why she admired his capability as an individual and a leader. Although his sadistic attitude left something to be desired. She really couldn't hate him, nor anyone for that matter.

Strong emotions could be detrimental for oneself, and they were so strong that they could go both ways. Like how love and hate was paper-thin. That was why she strived for balance.

The basketball lessons from Nijimura was in fact helpful. She could now see how each moves were executed as the pictures defined from the notes she received from Momoi and how to do them properly. He was a good mentor as he was a player.

Although Yume had to be extra careful to maintain an acceptable distance between them even as he taught her, she didn't want to be in another awkward situation. And if he noticed, he didn't say a word.

Nijimura was visibly impressed, the brunette learned the rope quickly. She wasn't borderline prodigious, but she was willing to put in extra efforts to succeed. It was only the basics, such as dribbling and lay-ups, but she still did satisfactory by his standard.

And he was thankful that he didn't make any blunders in his lessons. Nijimura had had enough of awkward moments with his kōhai, especially this particular one.

* * *

By the end of the lesson, Yume learned a lot. Perhaps she could get an A next time the PE class has basketball, she usually got C or B in a good day. The Gym was filled with many people trying out the lessons, and soon even Momoi was asked to help. She didn't coach of course, only taking care of the miscellaneous duties.

Since the boys' shift lasted until the closing, and Momoi had to stay to help, Yume decided to excuse herself. It was 3 and Kuroko's shift had began an hour ago. She could go there. It's getting crowded here and she never liked crowds and the rowdiness that they came with.

Although, ever since she knew Momoi and then Aomine, Yume started to begin accustomed to such loudness. Contrary to the popular beliefs, even the aloof Midorima could be a prick and thus attribute to the noises level whenever they had group lunch.

"Sat-chan, I will walk around for a while. Let's meet up in our class by 4?" Yume approached her busy friend who was moving tumblers and towels by a trolley.

"Mm. Okay." Momoi smiled at this. She felt a bit regretful that she couldn't fully enjoy the festival with her friend, but agreed that there's still tomorrow.

"I'll see you later. Good luck, Sat-chan." the brunette hesitantly patted her friend's shoulder. Even after knowing her for months now, she was still reserved about touching people in general.

As Momoi waved her before returning to her tasks, Yume exited the Gym without seeing any of the other boys she was acquainted with. They weren't in her vision when she wanted to leave, so it's not like she avoid them or anything like it.

The 3rd Gym was close, within five minutes walking distance from the 1st Gym but more desolated in comparison. Probably because the place was basically a 'dumpster' when it came to lacking basketball players and interest was meagre at best.

The line was there, short, but a line of people waiting for their turns at the maze. And while each customers soon earned themselves a guide, there was one guide who seemed forgotten by the side lines. Who else could it be but the babyblue-haired boy?

Kuroko was blending in with his surroundings, too well in fact, that he wasn't noticed by the rest of the customers searching for a guide. Perhaps they would notice if he speak, but he only stood there with a blank look on his face, holding what seemed to be a wooden plank advertising the club.

"...Kuroko-kun?" Yume slowly called out, unsure about the whole situation. Was the boy really that unnoticeable? Even in the situation where he was needed?

The boy blinked back to awareness as he locked eyes with the brunette. "Ah. Manai-san. Konnichiwa." he nodded at her. "Are you here for our maze?" he asked with his set expression.

"Uh... Yes. Are you available?" she casted a glance at the queue with four other customers before her, then back to him.

Kuroko followed her gaze and understood the unasked question. He stared at her. "It's okay. No one else will realise." he admitted.

His shift began an hour ago, yet after he was asked to hold on the plank for a while as a stand-in for the senpai who needed to go to the toilet, he was forgotten and thus stuck on the job.

It didn't help that said senpai decided to take on his place as the guide either. Which meant, that since the start of his shift, Yume would be his first guest. The two conversed light heartedly as they traversed the maze.

"Did you help making the props, Kuroko-kun?" she asked as they passed the well-made and sturdy walls that formed the maze. Yume normally wasn't one to initiate conversation, but she found it easy to do so with Kuroko. Perhaps it was due to his quiet nature?

"I did what's mostly forgotten." Kuroko replied in a flat tone, although he sounded slightly resigned.

Yume couldn't help but sweat drop at his honest confession. It was sad, really. "Uh... Will you be helping your class tomorrow? It's... Haunted House, isn't it?"

If memory served her right, Aomine was in the same class as Kuroko, although she wasn't sure if the tanned teen even notice his pale-skinned boy. And Aomine's class was doing a Haunted House, which according to Momoi, was having good sales today for the 'unexpected presence' at some point of the entry. Oh, wait... unexpected presence? Yume discreetly glanced at the boy walking next to her. Could it be...? But then again, who else could be?

"Yes. You are well informed, Manai-san. My classmates are talking about your class's cafe. They said it was popular." Kuroko replied steadily, now eyeing the brown faux pair of animal ears on top of the brunette's head.

He's been wondering about that for a while now, but he assumed it was just her class's event. "Are those animal ears part of the cafe's outfit, Manai-san?" he asked away.

As soon as 'ears' was mentioned, Yume stiffened. She knew she shouldn't follow Momoi's advice to keep them on. She's been the centre of attention since she did, which she loathed. "...Y-Yes. Everyone has different pairs..." she answered softly, avoiding his questioning gaze.

Like Momoi, Kuroko had one of biggest pair of eyes. His were brilliant blue, the tranquil colour of the sky while the pinkette's were striking peach colour. Through experience by dealing with her bestfriend, she knew that if the babyblue-haired boy here was to utilise the puppy-eyes look, he might as well be her weakness.

Heaven above forbade he ever learned that dreadful move. Yume had her hands full with Momoi and her requests, she didn't need another person she couldn't refuse. Kuroko wasn't nearly as devilish as the pinkette, but even the innocent babyblue-haired boy could learn a bad thing or two.

"Will you attend tomorrow's closing event, Manai-san?" Kuroko was the one with question this time and he was genuinely curious.

This year, the school held a special event for the students at the end of the Cultural Festival. All students from the first year until the last year were invited although it wasn't mandatory. The Student Council helped planning the event, so Yume knew about it more or less.

"Mm. Akashi-kun, he's the President of the Student Council, said that since we had hands in creating the event, the members should attend it as an example for other students." Yume recalled the words the redhead uttered, it held truth values and so she didn't question it and just went along.

After working with the redhead for weeks, she knew that he didn't make needless decisions and unnecessary orders. Or most of the times he didn't. Yume still couldn't ask why he told her to survey the Basketball Club few days ago.

"Will you go, Kuroko-kun?" she smiled slightly, feeling more at ease with her company.

Kuroko returned the smile, with only the smallest tugs of his lips. "I will."

Amongst her unintended acquaintances, Yume found Kuroko most agreeable, even more so than Momoi. They were both quiet and reserved, even sharing similar preferences. She didn't feel the need to converse continuously because they appreciated the silence.

In the case of Momoi, she didn't get herself in awkward silence because the pinkette would always have something to talk about or things to do. It was fun and Yume enjoyed every seconds of it. She was still surprised by her antics now and then.

The whole way through the maze was quite pleasant, the two teens were able to learn more about one another and even traded tips and infos on books. Kuroko turned out to be a satisfactory guide, he gave helpful hints to the quizzes along the paths and kept her entertained. It really was a nice day.

* * *

"Yuu-chan! Here!" Momoi grinned and waved her hand in the air to signal her friend at the end of the hallway.

The brunette, who had now shed her ridiculous deer-ears, let a sincere smile gracing her face when she spotted her friend. Only for it to slip on her first step. Because behind the peach tresses, four other blinding colours sported. Her steps felt heavy now.

"Where did you go? You seemed happier than before you left the gym!" Momoi noted with an excited tone, locking her arm with the quiet girl who was trying hard not to bother with the extra presences.

"O-Oh... Just here and there..." Yume managed a small smile as she recalled what a nice day it was, until about now. At least Momoi was here. She had the perk to dissipate tensions and awkward moments.

"Heh..." a voice bursted between the girls.

Without notice, Aomine popped his head in the middle of the two girls, effectively surprising them, the brunette more than the pinkette - Yume nearly jumped out her skin and she didn't appreciate it one bit. As insensitive as he was, the boy must had noticed her shying away from close interactions.

"Nijimura-san said you were worth teaching. Told you're good for his standard." Aomine complimented with a lopsided grin, resting his elbow on the brunette's head comfortably. "You're picking basketball now? About time, Yume." he added playfully.

Really, he would think that after befriending Momoi who was as crazy for basketball as he was, the girl would learn how to side-step her opponents or performing cool fade-away by now. But of course, she just had to be stubborn and say she preferred watching.

Yume was happy and glad to say that she was closed to her friends now, and Aomine had taken the liberty to use her head as his elbow rest these days. The latter, she hoped he could decrease in frequency, because if this kept up, her growth would be affected.

"...It's only the basics, Daiki-kun. And please... remove your arm from my head. I need to grow." Yume sounded annoyed, which was rare and mostly reserved for the tanned teen alone.

Aomine grinned even more at her response, he enjoyed playing around like this and his target was quite limited. No, he would never pull this kind of stuffs towards Akashi. That was just a huge NO. Midorima was overly grouchy and he spoke alien with his obsession. Murasakibara was too ignorant and denser than the rock, it wouldn't be as enjoyable. Momoi would do in certain times, other times she would nag his ears to bleed.

"Mana-chin wants to grow tall?" Murasakibara joined in the conversation as Aomine lifted his elbow away. "Mana-chin is fine like this." he patted her head like he would a child. "Do you have sweets?" he asked hopefully, his own stocks depleted and his Captain made him stay so he couldn't go get more.

"Coming from you, Murasakibara-kun, it's not very convincing." Yume answered as she turned to face the purplehead. A few seconds later, she produced a strawberry-flavoured Ch*pa C*ups. She quickly unwrapped the sweet, and pushed it into the giant who was already leaning in.

Unexpectedly, Midorima found it necessary to coin his own opinion about the situation. "I see you're prepared for Murasakibara, Manai. Oha Asa did mention it's best for Pisces to be prepared for hardships today." he had his lucky item in hand even after the scolding from a certain ravenette about practicality.

"A-Ah..." she wasn't sure how to respond to that. Yume could handle Murasakibara's cravings, Aomine's playful behaviour, but she couldn't understand the greenhead's obsession with the particular morning show. She tried watching them a few times after knowing Midorima, but she wouldn't say they were frighteningly accurate. At least not for her.

"You took off the deer-ears, Manai-san? A shame. I say you look adorable with them on." Akashi spoke good-naturedly as good natured as he could be, a formal smile accompanying his compliment.

In her eyes, he was a charismatic evil lord smiling down at his prey. "...Thank you, Akashi-kun. But I have two functioning ears." she returned the courteous smile while her mind was in a full-blown panic, casting away the embarrassing scenes from the exchange she had earlier in the day with a certain redhead.

"That you do." Akashi directed an amused smile at her. It was more reserved than when it was just the two of them.

It was fun to watch her bestfriend conversing with the boys, but Momoi wanted her attention too! She was her bestfriend. "Ne, ne, Yuu-chan! Our shifts are short tomorrow, so let's go around the festival together, okay?" she turned her sparkling eyes at the brunette.

This, without the help of puppy-eyes look, Yume would readily accept. It's something she would like too. "Mm. Okay, Sat-chan." she smiled sweetly.

* * *

 _ **(1) To borrow a cat's paw:**_ _It means that one is extremely busy; so much so that they would appreciate the help of even a cat. (Doctor P, Yahoo answers)_

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, Yume and her friends walking around the Cultural Festival! What could happen?_


	28. Chapter 27 - Still waters run deep

Another chapter and the next one is in the making! No, my assignments aren't done yet, just this one is already done. Thank you for the supports and enjoy!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 27 - Still waters run deep**

The second and last day of Teikō's Cultural Festival was packed with guests even more than the day before. Those who couldn't attend on Saturday, made it on Sunday and there were some returning guests and thus the increase in numbers. Teikō always had successful fairs for the reputation it held and it attracted talented students as an additional bonus.

Events were nearly identical as the the day before, with some variations on the plays and shows in the auditorium. While Yume and Momoi finished their shifts early, the rest were still stuck in their respective classes. Oh, Aomine escaped his duties by being unreasonable and thus told to leave instead of creating more problems for their class.

Early in the day, 1-B received a special guest in the form of a ravenette Captain who appeared lost and hesitant, a behaviour shared by a brown-haired waitress. Thankfully, nothing more happened after serving a cup of coffee and a slice of shortcake.

In the midst of the enjoyment, few students were unable to vacate their shifts due to their popularities, which included a certain rookie blonde-model and a ghostly pale-skinned male. The former bringing in customers for his looks and the latter as a faint presence in his class's Haunted House.

"Your class is quite popular, Dai-chan. I heard the news, but it really is something. My friends said there really is a wandering ghost...!" Momoi commented with a shiver as she pictured a bloodied, long-haired ghost crawling towards her like a spider.

Class 1-C was indeed swarmed with people, mostly couples who seemed intent on taking advantages of the scary events for affections. The rumour of the wandering ghost popped out on the first day and had spread far and wide by now that even the teachers were worried about having to call an exorcist. However, since there had yet to be casualties, it was left alone.

"Ba-ka! Of course it was just a ruse. It must be inchou's work." Aomine waved off that stupid rumour. He slept his classes away, but he knew there's nothing like an extra presence in his class.

Now that he thought about it, there was an empty desk in his class. Maybe the owner was a delinquent who skipped classes instead of sleeping them away like him? Even Aomine couldn't escape his mother's wrath if he skipped like that.

"Whatever it is, it does good to the advertising." Yume added her thought while hiding her amusement. She was now sure who was it behind the white fabric that scared off the guests. "1-D has many female guests..." she glanced at another class who was swarmed mostly by the female populations.

Momoi turned her attention to the class next to Aomine's and she instantly knew what her friend was talking about. "Ah, that. Kise-kun is in 1-D. You remember him right, Yuu-chan? The boy we met at karaoke."

The memories of a certain blonde came up in her mind along with Momoi saying how he was popular in school and his ragged appearances when they last met, which explained the ensuing chaos. Nevertheless, Yume didn't want to be caught up in that.

"...L-Let's just go, Sat-chan." she tugged on her friend's hand to move faster.

Aomine trailed after the two girls, sparing a glance towards the crowded hallway of 1-D. He could see this blonde guy, taking pictures with girls, different ones, and many more in line through the door's wide opening. He shrugged before walking away.

The Photo-booth his class was setting up turned out to be a great success, thanks for his good-looks. But Kise wished he could enjoy the Cultural Festival instead of getting stuck in extra shifts because the girls demanded him and no one else.

Kise really wanted to run towards his little sanctuary at times like this. The peaceful place a brunette led him to. From his peripheral vision, he spotted the familiar honey-amber locks and turned to see. But he could only catch her leaving back.

In one of the pictures taken, it was of him, glancing to one side towards a brown-haired girl with middle-back length and the girl was cropped out of the frame, only half of her body was captured and her face wasn't shown. Kise himself was crowded by girls in the picture, and only his neck up was captured in the picture.

"...Woah! Akashi-kun's class is even more amazing! No doubt it's due to their good-looking boys." Momoi was in awe at the queue which was double her class's cafe, and they were in the same service business.

1-A's cafe was a bit more unique, because it was a Butler Cafe in contrast to 1-B's Animals Cafe. 1-A had some of the most good-looking guys in school, so they were using it to their advantages. And from the looks of things, they succeed big time.

Yume couldn't help but notice the female proportions were at least twice the males. She couldn't grasp the ideas that females seem to go crazy for looks because she wasn't one herself. She knew and noticed good-looking boys, but that's about it.

For example, the redhead's appearances might as well be supreme, no one could deny that fact. But no, Yume would never think of herself being next to him unless she died and revived as a walking dead with no brain intact. Anyone who dreamed of being his lover might as well back out after experiencing his sadistic nature.

"Wait. So you're saying that Akashi, Midorima and Murasakibara caused this mayhem?" Aomine balked, his eyes wide with disbelief. Hell, he understood the redhead's popularity, but Midorima? With that perpetual frown on his face? And Murasakibara? Don't even get him started.

"There's no way, right, Yume?" he asked for confirmation. He knew he was right but he needed someone to agree with him.

Being put in question like that took her off-guard, but she tried her best answering. "Well... In case you haven't noticed, Midorima-kun is quite handsome... (If you look past the frowns) and Murasakibara-kun... is rather cute? (He acts like a child)." she herself wasn't sure.

"...Okay. I need to see this." Aomine conceded, squaring his shoulders as if to prepare for confrontation. "Let's enter, Satsuki, Yume." he walked towards the door confidently, only to have his arm grabbed forcefully it sent him backwards.

"Argh! What's with you, Satsuki?!" he nearly screamed at her, annoyed that she prevented him from advancing. He needed to see those three and their supposed good-looks!

Momoi fumed at her childhood friend's stupidity. "There's something called a 'line', Dai-chan! Ever heard it before? We need to wait, w-a-i-t!" she emphasised each letters.

"Hah?! I don't need that. I want to see now!" Aomine rebutted strongly. He wasn't one to wait.

As the pink-haired girl grew redder and redder with anger by each passing seconds and the tanned boy refusing to back down, the little group earned themselves handfuls of stares from the people waiting in line. And while the two couldn't care less about them, another did.

"U-Uh... Sat-chan? Daiki-kun? Can we cut this short... please...?" she wanted to cry. Whatever she did to deserve this. "P-People are watching...!" she whispered in embarrassment, her cheeks flaming.

Sadly, her plea went unheard as both glared at each other. Ever since Yume knew these two, they often butt heads. It's worrying, really. They were such good friends too. Perhaps the sayings that the more you love, the often you quarrel was true after all?

Yume was about to sigh when she felt a poke on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was - someone she didn't know. "Uh... Can I help you?" it was a girl, a student of Teikō and a first year from the colour of her bow.

"You three are from the Basketball Club like Akashi-san, Midorima-san and Murasakibara-san, aren't you? You can enter now if you want, there's a free table for three. The rest of the customers need four or more, so it's no problem." the kind student explained with a smile, although it appeared a little strained. Maybe it was the light?

Thank good Heavens. She wanted to jump in joy for the much needed invite. Yume nodded happily. "Thank you...!" she smiled joyfully. '...Wait. I'm not a member of the Basketball Club... but.. these two need to calm down now.' she sighed inwardly.

To stop the glaring competition, Yume stepped into their vision, her hand obstructing their view of another. She peered into the tanned teen's dark-shaded eyes first, he needed to cool off most because Momoi was easily pacified. There're inches between their faces and it made her uncomfortable but it wasn't so close for her to squirm.

"Daiki-kun? We can enter now, so please stop glaring." she told him nervously, and without taking note of his reaction - his widening eyes - she turned to her bestfriend this time. "And Sat-chan? It's fine, she told me it's a table for three and the other guests need at least four seats." she continued at the blinking pinkette.

Momoi had already ceased her glaring when a hand descended between her and her childhood friend and said hand belonged to her bestfriend, so she complied and stopped. "Really? That's great! I want to try the cake!" she cheered and walked towards the door while pulling the brunette with her.

"This way, please." the girl student smiled and guided the two girls. Aomine was still frozen in his place.

Noticing his lack of presence, Yume turned to see the still boy and arched her eyebrow in confusion. "Daiki-kun? We can enter now..." she repeated, thinking he didn't hear her the first time.

"O-Oh.. Uh, yeah... Okay..." he finally returned to awareness, averting his gaze to the side as he followed after the girls.

It confused her but she didn't question further. There's a lot of spectators here and she preferred to sit and escape the prying eyes as soon as she could. Besides, she was sure it was nothing serious. It's Aomine after all.

The class's interiors were nicely decorated, a British-style of the Victorian era. The tablecloths were white with intricate gold linings and a flower in a small vase in the centre of each tables. The waiters were all in a butler outfit, with a black bow-tie, white shirt, black pants and completed with a tailcoat. It appeared the girls were either in kitchen duties or doing advertisements.

"Woah! It's like we're in a cafe in London!" Momoi muttered with a satisfied smile, hurrying the both of them towards the empty seats while Aomine trailed behind, slightly disoriented.

Yume had to agree. A lot of time must be spent on the decorations, they were detailed and perfectly placed. But 1-A was where a certain perfectionist and a redhead were studying. That explained this whole things. Of course, the rest of the students must have worked hard too.

Soon after the three took their seats, a waiter came by with a while fabric hanging on his right arm, a note in his hand. "Okaeri-nasai mase, danna-sama, ojou-sama." he bowed politely. "Is there anyone in particular you wish to serve you?"

It was the classic greetings in cosplay cafes and somehow disturbing for Yume, she'd never been to those kind of cafes before. She didn't even frequent ordinary cafes often, so she felt weirded out with these overly classy and formal stuffs.

"Are Akashi-kun, Midorima-kun and Murasakibara-kun here?" Momoi asked, bubbly. She was curious how the boys would look with this butler outfit!

"Ah. Akashi-san isn't here, but Murasakibara and Midorima are here. Should I call them for you?" he questioned with a gentle smile, he must have trained that.

Momoi was a bit down she couldn't see Akashi in the cool outfit, but at least the other two were here. "Yes, please!" she chirped.

"I understand, danna-sama, ojou-sama. They'll be here in a moment." the male student spoke before he bowed and left.

"...Even if this is a Butler Cafe, for students' standard, it's quite well-made, isn't it, Yuu-chan? Even the waiters spoke so butler-like!" Momoi whispered to her friend, slightly overwhelmed with the unusual situation around her.

Yume nodded in agreement. Although she had nothing to compare this to, it really was over-the-top. "It feels weird here, Sat-chan... Let's leave soon." she mused softly.

"Eh? Aomine-chin, Momo-chin and Mana-chin? You're visiting our cafe?" a voice joined in, the lazy and slightly slurred familiar tone. He wore the classic butler outfit, although the tailcoat appeared too small for him.

Murasakibara wasn't alone, next to him was a frowning butler with a bright green hair. He was grimacing and he didn't look happy seeing the three people in front of him. "Aomine. Momoi. Manai." he greeted curtly and it sounded forced.

While the two girls took in the boys' new look in a positive light, the tanned boy appeared stunned. Then he exploded with laughter. "B-BWAHAHAHAHA! What's with that?! Y-You look stupid! M-Midorima, you actually agreed to this?! B-BWAHAHAHAHA!" he bellowed out loud, pointing his finger at the irked teen with tears in his eyes from laughing too much.

Murasakibara didn't seem to care, he couldn't be bothered to. It was hard enough to move in the unfamiliar clothes, he preferred watching by the sidelines here. It was different for Midorima, who was extremely pissed and irked by the idiot ganguro's stupid laughters.

His growing annoyance was sensed by the girls, and Yume was especially concerned about attracting more public attention. She really had had enough with the stares that came after these group of people.

"Midorima-kun, please don't mind Daiki-kun. He never sees a butler before." she tried pacifying the seething male. What other words could she say? "A-And, uh... I-I think you look nice...!" she praised quickly, blushing from being flustered.

Not noticing how the male stiffened at that, she turned towards her friend for support. "Midorima-kun looks nice, doesn't he, Sat-chan?" she pleaded for her to agree, her eyes moist.

"Of course! You look perfect, Midorin! Mu-kkun too!" Momoi added with a wide smile, complimenting the boys while pinching her childhood friend hard, so that he would stop.

Thankfully, soon the tanned teen winced in pain instead of continuing with his boisterous laughter and the annoyed green butler was appeased, thus crisis was averted. The boys' shift actually ended after taking their orders, so they decided to walk (or dragged) around together.

"Yuu-chan and I are going to see the Choir Club's performance. Do you guys want to come along?" Momoi invited as they walked towards the auditorium, which was already filled with people.

"That's okay." Murasakibara nodded, following after the girls. He was now wearing his school uniform, as did Midorima.

"I don't see why not." Midorima himself was quite interested since the Student Council was invited to the event due to a certain member's involvement with the club.

Aomine knew straightaway this wasn't his kind of thing, but he was bored and he could get a nap for a while, which was great. "I'll go too." he replied last.

Needless to say, his childhood friend nearly had a heart attack after hearing him saying yes to her invitation. "Dai-chan, you're going?! Oh, wait. You're thinking of napping, aren't you? And here I thought you hit your head when I wasn't looking." she shook her head hopelessly.

And so, the little group of five entered the auditorium and found themselves seats. They managed to get good seats in the two rows before the middle row and seated themselves. Three minutes in, and the show started with a melodious piano playing and another musical instrument's soft and gentle sound.

The unidentified sound turned out to be a violin, the sounds it produced were ringing like crystal, pure and clear. The curtain was lifted to present the choir group with a familiar ravenette in the middle of the cluster. It was Miyazawa, all prettied up.

What surprising was an unexpected extra presence who certainly didn't belong to the Choir Club; a first year with a _sadistic_ nature, an overwhelming charisma with an _obnoxious_ redhead. No, that wasn't Yume. It's something a _green alien_ from outer space inputted to her head because there's **no** way she could pair such words to her President.

Yes, it's absolutely **not** her. No one could hold her responsible. It wasn't even her thoughts.

Really, though. Her President really was a man with hundreds of talents, the Mr. Perfect he was. She hadn't heard anything about his participation as the Choir Club's violinist. Had he been doing this since day one or was he a substitute for someone else?

"I didn't know Akashi-kun could play the violin." Yume whispered quietly as she listened to the songs, which were nice as relaxing. "Although, I'm not surprised..." she mumbled the last part to herself.

Midorima adjusted his glasses from his seat next to the brunette. "I had heard him playing before. He had been playing since he was a kid."

"I knew too." Momoi nodded, confirming the information. "I had never heard him playing until now though."

"Aka-chin can do anything..." Murasakibara complimented the redhead's able-ness. There seemed like nothing he couldn't do.

Through all this, Aomine was peacefully sleeping in his seat, enjoying a good nap from the lullaby he was listening to as he dozed off to Dream Land. His soft snores even harmonised with the tunes at some point. After the show ended, it could be said that everyone in the hall were entranced and genuinely enjoyed the performance.

As the crowds began to disperse, the group of friends approached the stage and the Choir Club's members who were resting and winding themselves down, happy smiles etched on their features. They practiced hard for days and they put on their best performance. The rewards were the joyous and invigorating applauses they received after every stage.

"It's an amazing performance, Miyazawa-san. Everyone else too." Yume smiled as she walked towards the flustered ravenette, her cheeks red (from the praise or from her tiredness, she didn't know).

Miyazawa folded her arms, her head held high as she tried to appear smug. "Hmph. We will definitely win competitions." she stated and faced the brunette. "And the Student Council will then approve of our budget proposal."

Yume nodded in assent. With how things were going, her statement was plausible. They were amazing and could even be better through more polishing. "I will joyfully wait for that day, Miyazawa-san." she told her sincerely.

Said girl was blushing even more. Miyazawa would never admit to it, but her spirits were lifted from the brunette's visit that day and the confidence she expressed towards her club. She was encouraged, given a goal to strive for, and for that, she was forever thankful. She glanced at the Student Council's Treasurer before she puffed and left without another word.

"What an attitude..." Aomine raised his eyebrow at the rude behaviour the girl displayed. He wasn't one for manners but even he had to say that wasn't nice. And his friend here even praised her and her team.

Momoi turned to the redhead, who had now packed away his violin into its case. "You're incredible too, Akashi-kun! Isn't he, Yuu-chan?" she nudged her friend.

"O-Oh? Y-Yes, you're wonderful up there, Akashi-kun." she complimented with an awkward smile. He really was. Yume never heard any other violin before, but she knew his play was something to revere for.

To any others he would appear smiling at the compliments, but to a certain brunette, she could slightly see the crack in his perfection. He looked vulnerable for one split second, so quick that it seemed like it didn't happen.

"Thank you. It's one of the lessons I throughly enjoyed and one of my favourite pastimes." Akashi confessed with that smile of his, one that seemed perfected through numbers of uses.

Why did he look so sad just then? She didn't imagine it, did she? Yume stole a discreet glance at the redhead. He appeared fine now, just normal Akashi. Maybe she did imagine it after all? The concert ended with confusions for the reserved girl. She doubted she could clear them soon because her President was the main factor in the equation.

Oh, well. For now, she could just enjoy the festival with her band of friends. This opportunity wouldn't come twice.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, a Quiz Corner offers prizes for winners and her friends are interested! Will Yume participate with her friends?_


	29. Chapter 28 - Among the stillness were

Here's the promised update! I haven't updated in a long while because of school and assignments, I'm on break now so expect updates now and then! First off though, I have lots of entertaining activities to do as well! Books to read and games to play~! Enjoy!

This chapter is bit rushed I think…

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 28 - Among the stillness were pounding hearts**

Amongst the many events of Teikō's Festival, there were several events for both guests and students alike to compete and try to win the prize. An event by the name of Quiz Corner, held by the sister of the Riddle Club, the Quiz Club, was one of these. They accepted entries on the spot moments before the start of the event itself. The participants were mostly nearby people or those who actually kept track of the events schedule.

It's one of those traditional events held every year and continued by the next generations, thus they're allowed twice the amount of general budget the other clubs were allotted. Thanks to that, the prizes they offered the winners were miles better than other clubs unless they pitched in their own wallets. The event was annually held in the square near the school gates to attract and hype the crowds.

"Good afternoon, everyone! Are you enjoying Teikō's Festival? We're now holding a Quiz Corner! There're amazing prizes to win and the entry is free! Come on, step up! Answer the questions and win the prizes! Any brave challengers here?!" a male student in an eye-catching suit yelled out from the stage, motioning for people to come.

At the announcement, Momoi's peachy orbs were sparkling and before her lips parted open, her bestfriend knew she was asking for trouble. "Hey, hey! That looks fun! Let's participate, Yuu-chan!" she tugged enthusiastically at the other girl's arm.

By now, the group of six teens had stopped and the boys were carefully watching the brunette's response to her friend. Who appeared to in quite a disagreement to the idea. "...I don't think I will. Uh, you can go with Daiki-kun? I'll cheer for you." she gave her a small smile, trying not to pull away from her grasp to avoid hurting her friend's feelings.

Walking around the festival filled with hundreds of people was one thing. Standing in front of those numbers paired with excruciating noises were just not it. Really. Yume didn't want to participate in this Quiz Corner or whatever it was.

So enlighten her as to how it ended up like this? *******

"Here we are folks! Three new entries! That completes our five pairs match-up! And let's the quiz begin!" the MC announced happily, standing to the side to show the participants behind the small desk with a red buzzer.

From left to right; Momoi and Yume, Aomine and Midorima, Akashi and Murasakibara, two female Teikō sophomores, lastly, one male Teikō senior and one male Teikō freshmen. Each with their own expressions. The excited ones were Momoi and some of the Teikō students, those who couldn't be bothered were Aomine and Murasakibara, those who were confident and amused were Midorima and Akashi, while Yume seemed like she wished she was anywhere but there.

"Let's win this, Yuu-chan!" Momoi exclaimed with joy, her face lit up and her peachy orbs sparkling in contrast to the brunette's strained expression.

"...Sure." she murmured dejectedly.

The MC appeared hyper, no doubt trying to invigorate the crowds as well as the participants. "Since this is Teikō's Cultural Festival, how about a question involving Teikō for the opening question? Teikō's students, you can't get it wrong!" he exclaimed to the audiences before facing the participants.

" **Question 1.** Who is the name of Teikō's current Principal?"

Red light lit up seconds before the question ended, along with buzzing sound. It's Akashi and Murasakibara's team.

"Kobayashi Hideyoshi-sensei." the redhead answered calmly in that confident and charismatic tone that could only be his. Perhaps even swooning some females on the crowds.

"Correct! **1 point** to _Red Team_!"

At that statement, Midorima appeared to be giving Akashi the stink-eye. Momoi puffed her chest to urge herself to do better. The redhead was just smirking that frustrating lopsided smile of his.

"Next! **Question 2.** The book 'I Am a Cat' was written by a famous writer. Who is this person?"

Concerning the previous given score (and his arch-rival Akashi), Midorima was quick to swipe the bell this time, lighting the green light on his desk. He adjusted his glasses to give off the clever vibe.

"Hmph. That's too easy. It's Natsume Sō—"

" **DORAEMON!** The answer is Doraemon! That blue round cat in that futuristic anime! He always yells that he is a cat! Right, Midorima?" the tanned teen grinned victoriously as he elbowed his partner in the game, not noticing how quiet the surrounding was after his loud proclamation.

Said greenhead grew a huge tick on his temple. His entire body gestures seemed to be screaming profanities at the sorry excuse for a man as he stiffly turned to face the still-grinning-idiot.

 **"WHAT PART OF DORAEMON IS REAL –NANODAYO?! HAVE YOU NO BRAIN?! YOU... YOU BAKA GANGURO!"** Losing control was something Midorima rarely did. However, it seemed his frustration with his tanned friend had reached its peak for the day.

And Aomine was as pissed, he returned the yelling. **"HAH?! THAT'S HIS FAMOUS LINE, YOU SEAWEED-HEAD! WATCH SOMETHING OTHER THEN THOSE HOROSCOPE SHOWS THEN YOU'D KNOW!"**

Soon, only the heated discussions of the two male teens could be heard throughout 10 metres radius. And acting by this judgement, the MC had to disqualify the two participants for 'being overly excited' and 'disrupting peace'. The personnel in charge even had to literally drag the two boys away from the stage since they wouldn't stop arguing.

And Yume's comment to the whole situation was whispered to Momoi: "...I didn't know Daiki-kun watches Doraemon that often."

To which Momoi sweat dropped and minutely nodded. "He likes anime since we were kids." she confessed.

"U-Uh, pardon that intrusion and let's get to **Question 3!** Okay, here goes! 'In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king', who is the na—"

 ***PING* *PONG***

The pink light lit up without concluding the question and it was attributed to a concentrated pinkette grasping firmly to her friend's hand, which she used to press the bell despite of the latter's reluctance and (losing) opposition.

"The question isn't even finished!" the MC complained. Why were this year's participants awfully rowdy?

Momoi turned her sparkling eyes to the brunette. "Yuu-chan! It's history, your specialty! It must be the name of the person! You know the answer, don't you?" she asked excitedly.

This whole walking-through-the-school-festival-with-friends was new to her and she wanted to enjoy and memorise every seconds of it. It was truly fun for Momoi and she sincerely wished her bestfriend would feel the same way. Her friend was reserved and she might even say that she had difficulties interacting with people despite being surrounded by them on regular basis.

One day, Momoi hoped the day would come where her friend wouldn't have to force herself around her. She was aware of how the brunette tried her best to keep everyone around her happy and at arm-length most of the time. She wasn't sure why, but she knew that it had to change. It wasn't easy, but they would succeed. And until then, she just had to get her out of her comfort zone more often than not.

"...Oda Nobunaga." Yume muttered defeatedly, her head hung low and light pink tinted her cheeks. Was there any chance for her to hide her identity from these people? It's... embarrassing.

The pinkette then relayed the answer in a louder, clearer voice that echoed. "Oda Nobunaga!" she chirped.

"Correct! **1 point** to _Pink Team_!"

And so, questions were delivered one after another and answered just as quick. There're the enthusiastic Momoi, the less-so Yume, the confident Akashi, the laid-back Murasakibara and the two overwhelmed Teikō pairs.

"Water property expands instead of contracting between the temperature of 4 degrees C to 0 degrees C and it becomes less dense. What is the name of this phenomenon?"

Colourful lights lit up the stage, mainly red and pink if not the rare yellow and orange, accompanied by the buzzing sound of bells.

"...Anomalous expansion of water. Can I eat now?"

Points after points were added into the panel of each team. Some garnering more than the others.

"C-Correct! Another **point** for _Red Team_!"

Thus came the end of the Quiz Corner. The victors, which were hardly doubted even since the beginning of the match, were the Red Team; Akashi-Murasakibara pair, with Momoi-Yume a close-second, two teams left in the dust and a disqualified (and disgruntled) Aomine-Midorima pair.

The prizes were then distributed to the winners, the first and second runner-ups. Whereas the the other participants left, the colourful gang remained in the vicinity as they discussed and compared each other's rewards. And apparently this was the prologue to a redhead's Dojo Challenge which would begin in a year to come.

"Momo-chin and Mana-chin are lucky... I want all-you-can-eat-sweets too." Murasakibara gazed longingly at the two vouchers held by the two girls. He didn't like his prize.

Noticing his envy and her friend's reluctance in parting with her share of the vouchers, Yume offered hers to the purplehead. "Here, Murasakibara-kun. I'm not really taken to sweets so you can have this. But please be mindful of your teeth." she smiled slightly.

Murasakibara immediately lit up, joy radiating from him. "Eh? It's fine? Then I'm taking it. Thank you, Mana-chin." he took the voucher and glanced at his own share of prizes. "Mana-chin takes this. I don't need it." he handed her a voucher, a different one from the one she gave him.

The 1st place's prizes were two 3-in-1 Free-passes to Aquarium, Amusement Park and Zoo which were valid until the end of the year while the 2nd place's prizes were two All-you-can-eat-sweets vouchers at a famous patisserie, owned by one of Teikō's sponsors.

"Eh? You don't need to, Murasakibara-kun." Yume refused, but at the purplehead's insistence for a trade, she eventually relented.

On the other hand, Momoi pouted petulantly. She was kind of put out since she was planning on going with Yume to the sweets-feast, but other then that, she was beyond blissful with her rewards. She loved sweets, and while not as keen as the giant's sweet-tooth, the concerned patisserie made her favourite cakes.

"Na, Satsuki. Weren't you saying something about putting on weights just the other day? Was it **2 kilos**? I think _you_ swore to cut on cakes." the nonchalant, somehow mocking voice belonged to none other then the pinkette's beloved childhood friend who kindly remind her of the conversation they had on their way home from school few days back.

Mostly, if not everything, Momoi said, would go through one ear and out the ear to the basketball-crazed teen when it didn't involve anything of his interest - basketball - so it's quite a surprise that he actually remembered what she said about cutting on sweets or even gaining weights. Could he actually listened to her blabbering?

That's a food for thought for another day. For now, Momoi was simply depressed because she wanted her sweets badly. Sadly, losing weights went hand-in-hand with controlling her diets and sugar was definitely her worst enemies; those white creamy of pure goodness on top of smooth tasting filling with golden tart baked to perfection. Yes. Exactly that.

"Momo-chin not going? Can I have it then?" Murasakibara offered gladly and everyone could tell the joy radiating from the purple giant's fave, nor would they miss the sparkles in his eyes.

He only seemed happier when the pinkette begrudgingly gave him her sweets-voucher. It was hard. Her hands trembled and her fingers latched on the paper so tightly that it crumpled. Momoi really was rethinking her decision.

"Murasakibara, one is enough for you." Akashi frowned, scolding the taller male like he usually did since he was the only one the purplehead listened to. Although, that list seemed to grow one of these days.

The redhead had no problem snatching one voucher off the purple giant even with their height differences. "Anyone else wish to have this?" he asked everyone with his eyes.

Aomine really couldn't care less. He's not a big fan of sweets, most of his allowances went to basketball-stuffs, and when it wasn't, it went to... _somethings_ of his developing interest. Midorima preferred Japanese-sweets with less sugary taste and more refined palate, which wasn't included in the deal. Momoi truly wanted to say she did, but somehow the ganguro's reminder grated her and she was determined to show him she could lose those extra weights.

So the voucher went to Yume, who didn't really have any reactions and were blinking in bewilderment when said voucher was placed on her hands next to her received ticket from her previous trade. "Uh...? I don't think..." she muttered hesitantly.

Akashi sighed at this. Murasakibara couldn't be allowed to have more than one sweets-voucher, Momoi had her diet and Yume already had the ticket he and Murasakibara won. They were just being difficult. However, he might as well solve it.

"Let me borrow this, Manai-san." Akashi spoke before he took the the free-pass from the brunette and walked away from the group towards the Quiz Corner's committee.

From the teens' standpoints, they could see the redhead was talking with the person in-charge but couldn't hear what it was all about. After a few minutes, the person left and return with new... vouchers? While Akashi offered his two free-passes. It was a trade, it seemed.

When said redhead reached the confused group, Midorima was the first to voice his question. "Akashi, what did you do?" he asked rather bluntly.

The addressed's lips quirked slightly to show what now appeared as six free-passes to the Amusement Park. "I traded the two free-passes for these. This way everyone can go. And Manai-san can keep her sweets-voucher."

Yume wanted to say she didn't need any of those but after the troubles her President went through, saying so would warrant her undesirable result from the redhead, so she kept her tongue.

Amusement Park? The always crowded, overly loud, long lines for one ride and time-consuming activities? Yume was proud to say she only went once during her lifetime and she was happy with that.

But she didn't have a say when everyone else only accepted it without so much of a complain but a few clicked tongues here and there. In fact, they seemed excited. These students were in the end, mere teens and enjoyed fun-filled activities.

"Thank you, Akashi-kun! At least we can all go together! I'm sure it'll be fun! I can even make our bento!" Momoi offered cheerily, her idea soon shot down mercilessly through the subtle and careful use of words.

With that settled and a promise to go to the Amusement Park in the coming date, the group resumed their walk through the festival. They passed through another big, annual event, the Miss and Mister Teikō Junior High event. Momoi was offered a participation but refused since she didn't like being in the limelight. There's even a Best Couple Contest, which accepted walk-in entries.

All in all, it was an enjoyable afternoon.

Nearing the end of Teikō Festival, was the last event held only for the students of Teikō. The widest Gym was the venue and the host was Takeda, the PR Committee of the Student Council. As was his position description, he was an energetic sort of individual, making him a suitable person for the job.

"I hope everyone have fun with the festival this year! And worry not, we're going to have even more fun soon! There're few things we've to run through first, so bear with me!" Takeda grinned through the speakerphone he was speaking at.

"Okay! So welcome to our last event in this year's Teikō Cultural Festival! Look to your sides and know that nearly all the students body are here! The rules are simple!"

This event is student-exclusive. Please leave the venue if you're not a student of Teikō.

This event requires everyone to blindfold their vision. Please grab one for yourself from the boxes in the front.

One of the committees will carry around a small box containing coloured strings.

Everyone will choose one string and hold on to it.

The strings are connected to another person and you will search for your partner in the darkness.

The time is 5 minutes.

Those who successfully find their partners (within an arm-length) will receive a prize.

Best of luck!

"Your partner may be a girl or a boy regardless of your gender! So don't be too disappointed when you discovered that this event isn't like one of those dramas you watch so often! Just be happy that we offer you prize for finding your partner!" Takeda continued as he ensured that all participants had their blindfolds on hand.

Chatters filled the room as everyone were excited and curious for the event. Momoi was one of them, while Yume was quite apathetic about the whole excitement.

"I can't wait! Maybe I'll find my prince charming today!" Momoi squealed as she tightened her grip on her blindfold.

Yume could only offer her a wry smile, not sure how to respond to her fantasies. "Yeah, maybe..." she replied vaguely.

"Everyone got their blindfold? Yeah? Then we can start without further-ado! Wrap the blindfold around your eyes and make sure you tied it right! We from the committees will do a round-check!"

Within 5 minutes, the committees had finished their round and the participants had their eyes covered.

"On three... two... one..." Takeda chanted slowly, making eye contact with the nearest person-in-charge to the light switch. He signalled for it.

 **"GO!"**

As soon as the signal was given, the students all began to move and follow where the strings led them to, while bumping the people close to them and having troubles weaving through the other strings obstructing theirs. Without their visions, it was even harder and nearly impossible to do.

Which was why it was no surprise that half a minute before the time was up, a certain teen tripped and fell on someone else.

"Ugh... What's this? It's... soft and squishy? Warm too?" he muttered in confusion and frustration. If it wasn't for those people, he wouldn't even be here now!

He couldn't see anything but darkness and when he attempted to cheat with his blindfold, he got caught by the committee and as a punishment, the committee tightened his blindfold until his head was hurting.

It didn't come as a surprise when he tripped and fell. In fact, he was surprised it didn't happen sooner. The good thing was whatever he fell on, it was soft and not hard like the floor. He tripped on someone's feet, at least he thought so. He was sure he heard a low 'oomph' when he crashed.

"Time's up! Everyone found their partners?" Takeda shouted as the light was turned on, leaving a disastrous scene in its wake with many students in various poses as they wrestled with their strings.

Amongst these was a pair of teens, dumbstruck as they stare at each other's eyes, struggling to process their situation. The reason was simple; the boy had his head and his hand on the girl's developing chest.

Heat rushed to their cheeks in seconds after their realisation. But the two were as still as an iceberg, unmoving.

"Well, it seems there's quite a number of successful pairs this year!" Takeda spoke as he surveyed through the crowds for the successful pairs who looked worse for wear.

Unsurprisingly, the two teens were hidden in plain sight due to most of the students were all noisy and busy with their own partners and tangled strings.

The girl finally broke off whatever trance she was in, and in her extremely flustered state, pulled out of the situation, leaving the boy crashing to the floor since he was leaning on her before she stood up and left in a frenzy. Even then, it seemed the boy still wasn't sober.

The only individuals to notice the two teens were a redhead and a pinkette, friends to the teens.

"Huh...?" Momoi mumbled as she squinted her eyes at the back of someone. "That person running? Isn't that...?"

"...Manai-san?" Akashi finished, without knowing that he completed another's sentence.

* * *

 ***** What actually happened**

As usual, the obvious refusal of her bestfriend fell on deaf ears to the pinkette. "Ehh? It's going to be fun, Yuu-chan! Just this one time? Plea—se?" she whined while pursing her lips and utilising her best puppy-dog eyes.

This time, Yume refused to meet that ultimate move head on and she averted her gaze before she could even glance at it. "I really don't feel like it at the moment...! B-But I'm sure Daiki-kun will!" she almost pleaded the flinching tanned male next to her.

"Hell no! What makes you think I'm going up there?! Need I remind you my grades?!" Aomine looked affronted that she even suggested him going up there for a quiz contest. **Him** of _all_ people.

Soon the situation was where Momoi was shooting puppy-dog eyes at Yume, who then directed her pleading look at Aomine, who appeared lost and finally turned to ask for the three boys' assistance, especially the redhead who seemed to hold all the answers in the world.

Akashi sighed inaudibly at this. He raised his gaze to meet the brunette's, whose eyes widened a fraction when she locked gaze with him instead of her initial target. He gave her _that_ smile. "Now... I'm sure it's going to be a good experience for all of us. As members of the Student Council, we have responsibilities to liven up the festival, no?"

Needless to say, any energies to resist the entry was immediately aborted and it left Yume as her shoulders slumped visibly.

This was why she didn't want to join any organisations nor clubs. They came with more responsibilities while she already had enough of those on her plate. But of course life just had to make it more difficult for her. And she wasn't even living her life badly.

Yet somehow she was _blessed_ with these rainbow-coloured individuals who cared about her opinions as best as next to zero.

If it wasn't this life, perhaps she screwed up so badly in her previous life that earned her this?

That said, her President would always get his way one way or another, and this was just one of those times. He _is_ Akashi Seijūrō after all.

"...Yes, Akashi-kun." she whispered dejectedly.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time,_ _Who are the 'two teens'? And how will this affect Yume and the rest?_


	30. Chapter 29 - Silence has a sound

I don't see anyone naming the right person of the encounter. I wonder if my description isn't accurate enough? Is this revelation surprising? Anyway, enjoy the update and I will try for another update tomorrow~!

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 29 - Silence has a sound**

The sun was shining down and there's hardly a cloud in sight on the rooftop of Teikō. Everything were in place, the usual lunch time. At least it _should_ be.

Momoi as the mediator of the group kept on eyeing her somewhat unfocused bestfriend in her peripheral vision. It's been more than a week since the Teikō's Festival and her bestfriend had never been the same. The first few days, she thought it was due to fatigue but when it persisted, she knew there was something else.

"Yuu-chan... you're behaving weirdly this past week." she noted, her tone careful and concerned.

The addressed brunette flinched without meaning to. She knew her friend didn't mean bad and was throughly concerned for her well-being, but she wasn't sure she could tell her. Even more with the guys present.

"Y-You're imagining things, Sat-chan... I-I'm fine...!" she denied with a wry smile, looking anywhere but at the pinkette's searching gaze.

Of course Momoi picked up on this. Yume was never a good liar, which was a commendable trait as it meant she didn't have talent in being a bad girl. She narrowed her eyes, immediately suspicious as she leaned closer and closer to her friend, making the brunette uncomfortable and inching backwards from her determined gaze. It's even worse when everyone else joined in on the stare-at-Yume thing.

All _except_ **one**.

"I'm not mistaken!" Momoi pouted petulantly, appearing like a kid on a tantrum. "I know how instead of progressing, Yuu-chan is growing to be more awkward!" she insisted with a frown.

Momoi didn't know what happened without her looking but it wasn't anything good for sure. Because the progress that her friend had taken somehow back-pedalled farther than she advanced. And frankly, this was troubling her.

Then she suddenly lifted a finger to point at a _certain_ someone.

 _"Especially around Dai-chan!"_ she exclaimed loudly.

Whether it's on purpose or not, the two teens flinched considerably causing the wide distance between the two more noticeable. Neither was looking at the other. In fact, they weren't acknowledging the other's presence! When neither of the two was willing to speak, the de facto leader of the group took charge.

"Did something happen between you two?" Akashi asked with a curious eyebrow raised. At their stubborn silence, he continued. "Was it during the Teikō's Festival?" he guessed, quite sure he was right.

And right he was. The two teens tensed visibly and mentally cursing the redhead's sharp mind and panicking if he perhaps saw what happened. Akashi knew he hit the jackpot at their reactions and frowned at the tell-tale of red in the brunette's fair cheeks.

He sighed. "You two better solve whatever problem you're having because it's starting to affect the group's dynamic other then your individual performances."

Aomine stood up at this, his mouth opened and ready to retort. Only for the redhead to expect what he might do and react quicker than he did.

"You missed one lay-up during practice two days ago." Akashi noted, causing the tanned teen to flinch.

"You dunked when you're supposed to pass as you're told to." Midorima remarked grouchily, clicking his tongue in distaste as he was the player to have received the pass.

"Mine-chin bumped into that overly short ledge." Murasakibara recalled how the male was so absent-minded that he missed to duck when he usually knew when to.

As Momoi nodded in assent at every claims, confirming that it did happen, Aomine flinched at every mentions of his mistakes and stayed quiet while grumbling on the side.

Akashi then turned to Yume, ready to give piece of his mind. "You stacked two portions of the same documents together."

"You used a different font in your report to me." Midorima claimed, the routine was, a reserved font was used for him, since it's easier for him to read that way.

"Mana-chin forgot my sweets." Murasakibara pouted slightly at this, since he had always waited for the daily sweets he received from the brunette.

Whereas Momoi also nodded at this and sweat dropped at Murasakibara's response, Yume turned stiff from the critics and mentally scolded herself for being so unfocused that she slipped up her works, earning her the unwanted attention.

It didn't come off as a surprise that they noticed something was off with her since she was usually the type that double-checked everything and did her works carefully, leaving little room for mistakes. Since her focus was disturbed, this happened.

She tried hard not to think things, to forget. But it wasn't easy when the key presence was constantly in her vicinity, stealing her attention from what she was supposed to be doing. It also didn't help that the other party was trying too hard to behave normally that it came off as weird, invoking a chain-reaction.

 ***RINGGGGG***

Her thoughts were cut short by the 15-minutes-warning bell ringing, signalling the Student Council period for the day as well as the end of group lunch. She didn't even know if she was to feel relieved for this result.

"You will talk it out after school." Akashi commanded, intent to clear the awkward air soon. He didn't really tolerate any mistakes that could be prevented, such as theirs these past week.

As Aomine always was, he didn't take orders well and he clicked his tongue before leaving in long strides. He wasn't happy with how others were including themselves in what supposed to be between him and the brunette. It's true he wasn't the best problem-solver or even close to it, but he preferred what happened between him and her, stayed between both of them.

Having spent nearly all her life-time with him, Momoi understood his dislike of the situation and felt somewhat guilty for being the one to bring it up. But like Yume, Aomine was more of the passive type when he was faced with someone opposite of him. In this case, neither her nor him knew how to react. Which meant Newton's Third Law wouldn't be enacted, no-action-no-reaction.

The two needed that little nudge from third-party so that they would get moving. The slightest force would be the catalyst, and the rest would be up to them. He would be fine with the intervention later, she believed. It was necessary, she convinced herself before following after the tanned male to ensure he didn't do anything stupid in his irritation.

The next to leave was Yume, who was hesitant but felt responsible for being member of the Student Council, with Akashi and Midorima following closely behind her, silently observing her behaviours, and Murasakibara leaving last.

School ended earlier for Yume and her group of friends due to the basketball club activities being cancelled by the coach's order and her part-time work was pending due to the bookstore where she worked at was undergoing a renovation.

So came again the awkward air between the fair brunette and the tanned male, standing with a wide berth between them, both looking to the side where they didn't see the other and the frowning pinkette in the middle.

Momoi herself wasn't sure how to remedy the situation. Her childhood friend wouldn't like it if she interfered too much, and she knew she had done enough with what she did back at the rooftop. It would be better to just leave the two to their own devices. Unfortunately, she couldn't just leave the two without an acceptable excuse.

"Momoi, can you see me for a moment? I have few questions regarding the files you gave me."

That was her god-sent saviour, also known as the charismatic redhead President of Teikō's Student Council, Akashi Seijūrō.

"Sure, Akashi-kun!" she agreed happily, chirping even. She wasn't sure if he had the same ideas as her but all she cared about was merrily skipping away from the two estranged teens.

"Ah! Dai-chan, you make sure to escort Yuu-chan home without a scratch!" she turned briefly to remind her childhood friend who was about to say something about her departure, then escaped without turning back as she sauntered away to the redhead and disappeared into the building.

The advantages of knowing her childhood friend and bestfriend so well were that she could tell what actions they would take most of the times, although some deviations were still present. So when she had foreseen the disagreements regarding her departure, she took off before any of them could say anything about it.

And so, both Yume and Aomine missed their chance to refuse the pinkette's proposal as said female had walked away. After the absence of the loud pink-haired female, the silence felt much more real and suffocating. It would have stayed if not for the tanned male walking forward grouchily.

"Let's go." he spoke curtly, not really looking at the girl but listening to her footsteps to ensure she was following.

Her footsteps were slow and hesitant, showing her reluctance and heavy contemplation for following the boy in front of her. He waited for her to fall in steps with him, making them walk side by side in silence. Often they would steal glances of another when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Aomine wanted to tell her, that he was sorry. That he didn't meant what happened. That he wanted for them to be friends again. But the words died at his throat and he couldn't seem to open it up. He was irked because he couldn't say it. And this caused him to have the annoyed expression.

Was it any other person, he or she would have thought the tanned male disliked escorting his friend home, but not Yume. She instinctively knew that he wasn't annoyed at her but more of their awkward situation due to what happened. But she wasn't sure how to remedy the tension.

Fate seemed to have had enough with the two stalling thus a car came rushing by, splashing the puddle by the road from the morning's rain towards the teens and more specifically the girl who was walking by the sidewalk closer to the road.

Her hero was no other then the male she was walking with, clicking his tongue at the driver's careless stunt, he pulled the surprised brunette towards him, his back facing the road to cover her from the stray puddle splashes.

What he nor her expected was for them to be touching each other with their already awkward tension. Her face rested on his chest so close that it appeared the two were hugging from an outsider's perspective.

The contact had Yume recalling of the Teikō's Festival and the incident that happened, causing her to be extremely flustered and pushed him away from her without realising she did.

"T-Thank you! I-I'm going home f-first!" she squeaked her appreciation before dashing towards her nearby apartment.

The brunette reacted so suddenly and so quickly that Aomine didn't have the chance to see the expression on her face and as he watched her disappearing back, he grew irritated at himself. This was why his childhood friend called him insensitive! He could have done better, yet what he did raise the tension instead.

He could still picture her expression of that day, most probably the same expression she wore just now that he couldn't get to see. Her wide and soft limegreen eyes, her flushed cheeks and the tears in the corners of her eyes before she ran away like she just did.

While he already had developed interest in gravure magazines, it's his first time feeling a girl's chest, and he was as flustered and confused as she was. He didn't know how to ease the tension and to return as friends they were.

This accident caused the two to notice one another as the another gender, and avoid close proximity, while also constantly thinking the other's reaction on every little things they did. Of course, neither of the two was aware of this.

As the day rolled and the next day came, Momoi quietly noted how it was getting worse between the two instead of having improvement. This was beyond her saving. She exchanged worried glance with Akashi and knew the redhead understood her silent gesture.

When the time came for her to attend the Student Council, Yume secretly glanced at the boy she was having awkward tension with. At times like this, she really hated her indecisiveness. She wanted to talk to him, to sort it out like he wanted to. But she couldn't seem to take the first step like he did. It's worrying.

"Ne, Yuu-chan? Are you free this Saturday? Can we go somewhere?" Momoi cheerily asked her friend, a smile gracing her features.

School had just concluded and the two girls were walking out the classroom to meet up with the one boy they usually walked home with. Saturdays' afternoon, Yume normally worked part-time at the bookstore, but with the renovation, she was free all day.

With that in mind, she saw no reason to refuse her friend's invitation. What's more, it's a chance to relieve her distressing thoughts and what thoughts plagues her brain these days.

"Sure." she replied with a small smile, letting the pinkette took her arm.

Momoi responded with a grin that was somehow unnerving with a little hint of mischief that disappeared so quick that it seemed like a trick of light. Had she known what said female had in mind this time, Yume would have retracted her agreement.

Days to Saturday, there were not much changes between the two teens' awkward interactions and strained silence for the remaining days. It was apparent that they were trying and struggling fruitlessly to find and maintain the 'normalcy' they were in before.

Saturday came, and a lone brunette was standing in wait for her friend in the promised place. The pinkette was late, which was rare and almost never happened. Was the glint of mischief she noticed before real and this was it?

"Thank you, Daddy!" a little girl chirped happily as she took a bite of her vanilla ice cream.

The father of the child smiled in exasperation and adoration, his hand gently resting on her ribbon-adorned head. "Keep it a secret from Mommy, okay? She won't be happy knowing you sneak a snack before lunch."

He wiped the stains of ice cream on her cheeks, smiling lovingly at the giggling little girl. He then offered his hand, which she took. "Let's go, Miko-chan." he walked away, hand-in-hand with his young daughter.

The sight was nostalgic and almost sad for Yume, who was taken with the scene before her more than the other bystanders. What was her father doing right now? Did he miss her like she missed him? It's been... a while since she last saw him.

"...Yo."

The grumbling tone surprised her, causing her to turn sharply at the voice. And who else was it but sulking Aomine? He wasn't surprised to see her, he even greeted her like it was normal for him to show up here. Unlike her who was blinking in bewilderment at seeing him.

 _Ah._

This was what the mischievous glint was. It was the pinkette's plan all along. No wonder she was late when she usually wasn't. And another showed up in place of her. Really, that girl.

"Uh... I think I'm going home." she face-palmed, realising she had been played.

Yume didn't know what her friend did to convince the boy to be here when the two were avoiding each other still. They were childhood friend after all, nothing escaped the notice of the other when push came to shove. Apparently this was one of those times.

Aomine scratched his neck irritably, a scowl plastered on his face. "Let's just get it over with." he suggested with a tone matching his frown.

His recently started collection was on the line, and for it to survive fire, he had to properly escort the brunette. Which was why he was here. The nerve of that girl, to threaten what he had just began to gather with his meagre allowance. Just how did she know anyway?!

It was annoying. For Satsuki to meddle herself between her and him. He knew she did it for both her and his sake, but he couldn't stop the irritation he was feeling. At least he thought so. Until he saw the brunette he's been avoiding, the peaceful and slightly dazed expression she had as she waited for his childhood friend to show up. It's been a while for him to see that expression on her.

And it strengthen his resolve to make up with her. They might not be the best of friends, but he kind of like hanging out with her. So while this might be bothersome, he had to get it done.

Mentally berating her bestfriend for dumping her on him, Yume finally decided to give it a chance and follow after the grumbling tanned teen. Maybe what the pinkette had in mind was for the best. This had been going on for too long and like the redhead had said, it's been affecting all of them.

Unbeknownst to her, the tanned teen looked back at the father-daughter pair before secretly glancing back at her. He saw her watching them with unreadable expression and somewhat longing air.

He wondered what it was.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, will anything good come out of this outing for Yume and Aomine?_


	31. Chapter 30 - Admission is the first step

A little bit late, but here it is! Please tell me what you think of this development! Currently, I have no plans for Niji-Yume interactions. Any particular scenes you want to see? I may need to brainstorm for that...

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 30 - Admission is the first step to recovery**

Saturday was one of the days where people were most out on the streets and shopping districts to enjoy themselves. Meaning, wherever one go, crowds of people were likely waiting. It's hard to get to where one wanted to be, and it's easy to lose sight of one's company.

And in the middle of the crowds, stood a lone brunette who was just in thoughts. So what was the aim of this outing again? The reconciliation of her and him? Well, that didn't happen nicely now.

When usually Momoi was there to mediate the difference of interests between the two, she wasn't present at the moment. Her company gravitated towards anything basketball while she was looking at books on displays.

In the first place, what were two estranged teens supposed to do when they were left on their own? While thinking of this, Yume lost sight of Aomine in the crowds.

Yes, blame her inability to focus on more than one things at once. And worse, she didn't have a cellphone. Ah, the _luxury_ she couldn't have.

Sighing, Yume separated herself from the overbearing crowds, knowing she wouldn't find her company in it nor would she feel comfortable to be in one any seconds longer.

On the quieter side, she still couldn't see the tanned teen. Where could he disappear to? She wanted to sigh again, only to hear a quiet sniffle next to her.

"H-Hiks..." a sniffle.

Yume was standing before a water fountain, a refreshing spot, and sitting on the ledge of it was a young girl, the same ribbon-adorned girl she saw earlier.

With her guilty conscience nagging her, she prepared herself for interaction. She leaned down to the girl's eye level so as not to surprise her too much. "Hello there. Are you okay? I don't see anyone around you so I'm wondering if you're lost..." she spoke softly.

The little girl slowly raised her head at the sound, her eyes moist with tears. She seemed hesitant to answer the question from a stranger, but as the brunette patiently waited with a soft smile, she replied in low whispers.

"Daddy... I lost Daddy when I was looking at the toys in the toy store's glass display... There're many people, and Daddy's not there." she confessed with little sniffles.

"I wait here so Daddy can see me. If in the crowd, Daddy can't see." she continued, her cheeks still flushed from the crying she had done.

Although her sentences were chopped, her reasons were sound, especially for a young girl. Yume smiled and patted her head gently, easing her sniffles. "You are very thoughtful." she praised.

"Have you been crying?" she tried despite already knowing the answer.

The little girl blushed slightly, looking embarrassed. "A little..." she muttered.

"There's nothing shameful about crying." Yume gently told her, a nostalgic smile on her lips. "I cried myself when I lost my mother before."

The young girl perked up at that, her eyes showing interests. "Really?" she questioned childishly.

"Mm." Yume nodded in confirmation, before appearing sheepish. "In fact, I also lost my company in the crowd..." she whispered shyly.

For young children to lose their parents were quite common, and they lacked the resources to find their parents. For teenagers like Yume however, getting lost was embarrassing and she should have a way to reunite with her company, which she didn't.

"My name is Manai Yume, what's yours?" she introduced herself, knowing that she needed at least a name to help the lost girl.

For the first time since she met her, the little girl smiled as she gave her name. "Miko-chan, Makimura Kumiko."

"I see, Miko-chan, eh?" Yume repeated with a nod. "Does Miko-chan want a drink? You need to hydrate yourself after crying."

While she wanted to accept it for her throat was dry, Miko-chan remembered that her parents told her not to accept anything from strangers. Also, it would be rude to trouble onee-chan more than she had.

"It's o'kay." she shook her head.

Yume picked up on her reluctance, and she knew what it stemmed from because when she was young, she was the same as Miko-chan. She often had to restrain herself because she didn't want to trouble anyone.

"You see, Miko-chan... If you need something, you have to ask. Or others wouldn't know." she gently ruffled her head, careful not to mess her ribbon. "It was good that you acted on her own and left the crowds, but did you ask for help?" she asked softly.

Miko-chan grew silent as she processed the words. "I... I was afraid they would ignore me... I don't know them."

Her lips quirked at this. "No one would ignore a cute little girl like Miko-chan. But she still had to ask." she advised.

"Mm." Miko-chan nodded and raised her gaze confidently with hope. "Can onee-chan help me find Daddy?" she asked.

At her request, Yume smiled and nodded. "Okay. But first we need to get you a drink. Onee-chan needs one herself." she offered her hand for the girl to take.

Soon, she got herself a bottle of pocari while getting a can of orange juice for the little girl. "Here, careful not to spill it." she reminded while handing the opened can over.

"Thank you, Onee-chan!" Miko-chan chirped happily, taking big gulps of juice to refresh herself.

Walking hand-in-hand with the nearby police office as the destination, the two girls took a steady pace while glancing left and right to see anyone they might recognise as their lost companies.

"O-Onee-chan! T-That's Daddy there! Daddy!" Miko-chan shouted in glee, tugging at the brunette's arm before sprinting away without even waiting for the older girl.

"W-Wait a minute, Miko-chan! You need to slow down!" Yume chased in alarm, it was harder for her to weave through the crowds than Miko-chan since the latter was smaller in size and more agile.

"Daddy! Miko-chan's here!" she shouted as she ran, swiping left and right to avoid people. But in her rush, she failed to notice the tiny pebble on the road, causing her to trip over it.

The next was a chain-reaction, the half-filled can of juice in her hand tumbled and tipped over, spilling the liquids all over the area, including soaking the shirt of nearby person.

"Wha–?! My shirt's ruined! This is a _limited edition_ , you twerp!" the person whose shirt was soaked with orange juice yelped, upset. "What will you do about this?!" he raged, not caring the other party was only a little girl.

Thoughts about her Daddy forgotten, Miko-chan was helpless before the angry thugs, tears began to flow from her eyes in fear and she sobbed, not knowing what else she could have done.

"S-Sorry... I-I'm sorry..." she whimpered, scared stiff as she sat on the pavement, unable to move.

The one person she spilled her juice at was scary enough, but he had two friends with him just as intimidating, even an adult would cower, a child would have cried senseless, like what she was doing. Other people saw what happened and most sympathised with the little girl, but none moved forward to help for they also feared the men.

This was what Yume walked into, the shirking bystanders with fear written across their faces and a shouting man demanding payment for his shirt's cleaning fees from a weeping little girl.

She hated attention, especially when they were centred on her. But for the little girl she came to know, she risked going out of her comfort zone and towards the battle zone filled with dangers, mainly the angry thugs.

Slow but sure, she extended her hand towards the seated girl. "Miko-chan." she whispered to get her attention, and when the girl did look up, she gently pulled her up by her arm and softly pushed the surprised girl to her back.

"I'm sorry for the troubles she caused, she is with me." Yume apologised with a low bow, protecting the young girl with her back.

Apologies didn't appease the man, he frowned even more instead. "You should've watched her better, idiot! Letting little twerps running around causing troubles is irresponsible! Look at my shirt!" he yelled, emphasising his point by gesturing to his drenched shirt.

"I don't need your apologies, I want reimbursement for my shirt! This is a limited edition and I want the stains removed perfectly! That costs fortunes! You're going to pay for that!" he spoke harshly.

"¥10,000! Give me that and I'll call this done! Be thankful that I'm generous enough with the amount!" he named the price with a scowl, while his companions had lopsided grins on their faces.

The price he named was jaw-breaking, and while she can tell that the material of his limited edition shirt belonged to the upper-class section, it was still cheap enough to launder. At least it was back in her hometown, Kyoto. This is Tokyo.

For someone who worked for her living to reduce the burdens on her grandparents, the amount he casually mentioned was difficult for her to earn, and really, it equalled to her monthly allowance, her part-time works salary excluded.

Had it been solely her, she would have asked for a negotiation for the price, even going as far as showing him the nearby laundry place to minimise the fees demanded and smoothen the deal with a peace offering.

But not this time. Even with the hefty demand, she was willing to part with said amount if both Miko-chan and her were safe, so she agreed without further complains.

"I understand, please give me a moment." she nodded as she took out her wallet to pay, running her fingers through the ¥1000 bills.

Yume could feel the tightening grip on her skirt along with a low sniffle from the little girl who was undoubtedly feeling sorry for the situation she got them into. She wanted to comfort the girl, to tell her it's okay, but it's hard to do with her preoccupied condition.

"Miko-chan! Miko-chan, is that you?!" a frantic shout boomed, stealing everyone's attention as a man rushed towards the group, more specifically the little girl behind the brunette.

"Daddy!" the girl cried out, tears flowing from her eyes as she sprinted towards her father, engulfing him in a hug as the man crouched down to the ground.

The sight was touching and it honestly relieved her that the little girl found his father although her own companion was nowhere visible. For the thugs however, the appearance of an adult, the girl's father, was bothersome and the leader clicked his tongue before snatching her wallet without warning, intent to make a quick exit.

"My wallet!" she squeaked in surprise as the three men ran from the scene, tried to anyway.

A well-positioned leg tripped the one carrying her wallet, causing him to tumble down the ground and the wallet he was holding was now in the hand of the one who made him fall.

"Curse! You brat!" the thug glared angrily, about to make a lunge at the offender when one of the bystander brought along a nearby officer, pointing to where they were.

"Damn! We can't get caught!" he gritted his teeth in frustration before making a run for it, bursting into speed that they soon vanished from the area.

In the midst of the ruse, Yume quietly watched as her wallet-saviour walked up to her, stopping just one step away and lightly bonked her head as he dropped her wallet on her hands.

"Here. You should be more careful." he chided softly, a lazy frown on his face.

She smiled sheepishly, momentarily forgetting any awkwardness they might had before. "Thank you, Daiki-kun." she smiled at him appreciatively.

Aomine side-turned at this, pale red brushing his tanned cheeks. "You're too absent-minded sometimes." he noted.

Her attention however, was no longer on him as she mutely stared at the now reunited father-daughter pair and was happy for both of them. Although it reminded her of her own father, and that she missed him.

Girls were hard to understand when they weren't in _his_ _books_ , so whatever she was feeling was lost on him. But he did what he could by placing his large hand on her small head, awkwardly giving her a gentle pat, as if he was saying it's alright now.

It certainly wasn't as comforting as the father to his daughter, who stopped crying almost immediately when she was in his embrace, but she could tell he was trying and it warmed her little heart, compelling a tiny smile from her as well as light heat around her cheeks.

After the father had thanked everyone for their helps; her, her tanned friend, the bystander who called the officer and the officer himself, little Miko-chan stepped forward to her and she crouched down for her.

"Thank you for today, Onee-chan! Next time, I will ask for help when I need it!" she chirped jovially, her smile lighting up and the once tears-stricken expression was long fading.

As she smiled and waved the pair goodbye, the two teens stood side-by-side in a comfortable silence. And when they were no longer in sight, it turned into that of awkward silence. Neither was looking at each other nor speaking, and with the crowds having dispersed when the scene concluded, the only noises were people's chatters here and there.

"...Sorry, I guess." Aomine began, invoking a reaction from the brunette. "I... wasn't sure how to treat you after, uh... _that_..." he faltered, blushing as he recalled of **that** day.

He wasn't the only one, as she was as flustered if not more with her bright scarlet cheeks. For this reason, she refused to look at his eyes and favoured hiding her face by facing downwards instead.

Still, he continued. "Well, now I know, that at least, I can treat you like Satsuki."

His pink-haired childhood friend was unquestionably smarter than him, but she was also dense and defenseless which caused her fair shares of getting into troubles she had no idea of getting into.

"I'll do the same for you." he muttered softly as he reached for her head and ruffled her hair rather roughly this time, grinning as he did so.

"I'll watch out for you like a nii-sama supposed to do, so be a good little sister for me, Yume-chan." he said teasingly.

Needless to say, his confession had her stunned for a while, but his thoughtfulness and sincerity touched her and she smiled at that. She held his confident gaze this time, a smile stretching across her face.

"Okay. Please take care of me from now on, Daiki-onii-chan." she returned his teasing.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, the two's relationship is mended! How will the others react?_


	32. Chapter 31 - Friendship is always a swee

I have people asking for Kise and Kuroko's appearance, so I made this short filler arc! And any Niji-Yume shippers here? I have this arc mostly planned, so hopefully the next few updates will be quick.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 31 - Friendship is always a sweet responsibility**

It was an ordinary school day, the lessons were taught by the teachers and students diligently took notes to aid their studies. The whiteboard on the front of the class was one of the medias used to deliver these informations. And currently, it was filled with another information, containing several names of the students in the class, with varying tallies count next to each name.

The Class President of 1-B, a female student by the name of Takahashi Kiyoko, and her Vice President, a male student by the name of Yamato Shougo, concluded the voting for the student representative of 1-B as the Cleaning Day's committee after every votes in the class had been garnered.

"Manai-san, please represent our class as the representative of the Cleaning Day's committee." Kiyoko smiled as she circled a particular spot on the whiteboard, her eyes trained on the brunette at the back of the class.

 _'Manai Yume - (twenty-three_ _tallies) O'_

"Good luck." Shougo curtly nodded at her, his expression stiff like a board.

Apparently, the reason why the fair brunette was chosen by a wide margin was because she was a member of the Student Council and thus had experiences with the job description of a representative, such as holding discussions and making decisions.

Although, said brunette wasn't quite happy with the result seeing as she had her part-time works to juggle with her studies even without another on her plate.

'I'll have to notify the managers...' she remarked inwardly, sighing mentally at the development.

Her managers, both from the convenience store and the bookstore were fortunately compassionate people and they understood her responsibilities as a student, so they could be quite lenient with her. However, she wasn't happy to behave based on that. She preferred to earn what she deserved.

"This must be hard, eh, Yuu-chan?" the pinkette murmured with a frown as students began to vacate the class. She gave a tiny smile and a nod. "I promise I'll help you!" she voiced proudly.

Yume shook her head at this. "No. Sat-chan, you're already busied with your club activities. I don't want to increase your burden."

Despite this, Momoi still held strong. She pouted, persistent. "You're one to talk, Yuu-chan! You're busier than I am!" she pointed out.

Which was true. While the pinkette had only the basketball club to worry about in addition to her studies, and perhaps her childhood friend, the brunette had her hands full with balancing her studies, part-time works and Student Council's matters.

With these thoughts in mind, she wilted abruptly, surprising the brunette. "It's not fair that Yuu-chan is chosen just because you're experienced..." she muttered, her head hung in dejection.

"It's a good thing that Yuu-chan is capable of managerial works and few others, but it isn't a reason for the others to keep depending on you like you're the only person on Earth...!" she continued ranting, her eyes began to moist over.

Like, seriously? They had thirty-eight students in class, and out of those thirty-eight, twenty-three chose her friend to shoulder the responsibility which many probably considered a burden.

"...Why are you treated this way just because you're capable? It _isn't_ fair, they didn't even ask for your opinion regarding this." she sniffled, her eyes glued to the ground.

The tell-tale of tears touched the brunette for the sincere concern her bestfriend displayed. For this, she did something she _never_ before by initiating the physical contact, which was usually the pinkette's job. She gently reached for her hand and grasped it comfortingly, smiling.

"Thank you for worrying about me, Sat-chan... But you see... It was a voting, and everyone else had a right to decide who they think is suitable." she whispered softly.

Her smile stayed as the sniffling girl raised her gaze. "Perhaps some didn't want the responsibility, but others probably believed I can do better than themselves, thus the choice." she continued.

"Besides," her smile lightened, causing her expression to brighten. "I wasn't the only one depended on. During the Teikō's Festival, everyone on the class worked hard, didn't they?"

Momoi sniffled, but nodded. She recalled those busy yet fun times of preparing for the festival, from the decorations to the outfits for the cafe, and the advertising she and her friend did with their animal-ears on the day of the festival.

"...What about the Student Council, your part-time works and studies?" she murmured, her worries reflected on her peach orbs.

She hesitated, having the same thoughts as her friend. "I... will try to balance them somehow, it's only for this week. I will be fine." she convinced both of them.

"But if I need any help, I will be sure to contact you, Sat-chan." she smiled at this, playful.

Satisfied, the pinkette nodded as she smiled. That was what she wanted to hear, for friends would be ready to back the other when needed. With that, the two left the empty classroom. They walked together until a certain point because the Gym and her meeting place was in the same direction.

"I wonder if Akashi-kun is the 1-A's representative, since he is capable and all..." the pinkette voiced her thoughts quietly.

Somehow, that _plausible_ fact escaped her before. Now it came to haunt her. Yume briefly stilled soon as her brain processed the words and what it meant for her; (more) unavoidable interactions with the redhead. As if those fifteen minutes in Student Council every school days weren't enough.

"...Perhaps." she replied vaguely in a low whisper. She _sincerely_ wished it **wasn't** so.

"It'd be great if he is!" the pinkette continued cheerily, unaware of her friend's thoughts. "That way, you will have someone you know to work with, Yuu-chan!"

Without a glance at her inwardly grimacing bestfriend, she pushed on. "Midorin will also do, he's in 1-A too. Well, Dai-chan is in 1-C, but the chance of him being one isn't even one percent." she commented with a shake of head.

Her childhood friend was a spectacular basketball player, if all. That was sadly, his best and only good trait. He was lazy, insensitive and... _stupid!_ She had every rights to say that when the responsibility to make him passed his exams rested on her. And it had always been **extremely** difficult.

No one in their right mind would choose the tanned male to be the representative unless he was the last person on Earth, and then, there would be not one to be represented for.

"Miyazawa-san is in 1-D, right? She might be voted as one..." she muttered in thoughts.

The pinkette's data was far and wide spread, she had accumulated varying informations from simply listening to asking. And she had general ideas of who would be possible candidates for the student representatives. She might not know them personally, but she did generally.

"I will know later." she replied in a low hum. She didn't mind working with the fair ravenette if she could actually looked past the budget matters.

"...Well! Here we are, I'm going this way." Momoi chirped as she stood at the fork of the hallways, one towards the gym.

Whereas the brunette stood few steps away from her, her destination on her left-hand side. "I'll see you tomorrow." she nodded her goodbye.

"Mm. Good luck, Yuu-chan!" she waved her friend away, receiving a smiley nod in return.

After the two females part ways, the 1-B's representative silently walked down the corridors, specifically looking for the meeting place. She was told that the discussion would be held on the first floor, in the Meeting Room which was intended for what it's named after.

Arriving at the door, she relaxed herself before knocking to announce her presence and slide the door opened. As soon as she entered the room, her eyes almost immediately picked out the familiar shade of red on top of a familiar head by the window sill, his arms crossed and his posture exuded his confidence.

And she could have sworn she saw a smirk playing on his lips for the shortest moment when their eyes met. No, she was _not_ delusional.

Fortunately (or not), her thoughts didn't linger because she soon heard another familiar voice calling out her name.

"Yo, Manai." was the casual greeting.

The second year ravenette approached her, stopping before he got too close, yet not far away to appear as strangers. "You got voted, eh? You're like Akashi in that regards, trusted for many kinds of work." he noted.

Although she had prepared herself to meet her redhead superior, she didn't think that she would see the senpai she was estranged with until the Teikō's Festival. Her surprise at his unexpected presence quickly wore off, but not without trying to hide the heat creeping up her cheeks. It was weird how it always found its way whenever he was near.

"Good afternoon, Nijimura-san." she returned his greeting, meeting his gaze, albeit shyly.

This didn't escape Nijimura's notice, and he found her behaviour endearing. The brunette was like the younger sister he always dreamed of, soft-spoken and mild-mannered. His own little sister was more on the boyish-side and while he loved her, she wasn't the sweetest. Also, his younger brother was an old man in how he acted, he was wiser than his own older brother.

The thoughts caused him to smirk, as well as the sight before him but he said nothing of it.

On the sidelines, a certain redhead looked on with his expression carefully managed and his silence kept. It was something he was accustomed to, maintaining his reaction no matter what situation he was in. In this case, it was watching his senpai from the same club and a member of the Student Council he led, interacting somewhat disturbingly.

"Is everyone here? I would like to start the discussion soon, so please take your place." one of the representatives from the third years called out their attentions.

It was clear that he was the appointed leader, by the teachers perhaps. By his call, the discussion soon began with customary introduction before delving into the matters regarding the Cleaning Day this Saturday and whatever interaction other then was halted.

The Cleaning Day was one day on Saturday where the whole student body was tasked with responsibility to clean and tidy the school area, which was held once a year. The preparations for said day began on the first day of school during the week with the participations of student representative from each class from all years in a discussion that lasted from Monday to Friday.

The elected representative from each class was to represent the class in the meetings to decide the school areas to clean with other representatives and the cleaning supplies to bring. There were eight representatives from each year, totalling to twenty-four student representatives.

Amongst these were Akashi Seijūrō from 1-A, Manai Yume from 1-B, Miyazawa Ayumi from 1-D and Nijimura Shūzō from 2-B. The twenty four representatives held discussions after school in the Meeting Room and the twenty four homeroom teachers from each class were responsible to assist the student representative of their class and helped supervise the activity on the D-day.

The Student Council was also responsible to organise the meals provided for the participating students and teachers. They allocated the given budget to search for appropriate supplier after confirming the final number of participating students with the representatives and teacher's representative.

The list of school areas to clean on the day was distributed to everyone on the room, and the appointed leader of the discussion, a third year, spoke to them all. "Start with listing the participating students of your class, the final list should be ready by Thursday."

"Participations are mandatory and should a student unable to attend, accepted documents should be prepared stating so and submitted to the homeroom teacher for confirmation." he continued, ensuring that everyone in attendance understood through eye contact.

When it appeared that they all did, he nodded in satisfaction. "That's it for today. The next meeting will be held here as well. This discussion is now dismissed." he ended.

The dismissal was followed with students leaving the room after courteous departure remarks, mainly towards the older senpai. As the mannered one, Yume did excuse herself with acceptable gestures. She didn't want to get in trouble with her senpai for being rude, that was Aomine's job. Or perhaps Midorima, and occasionally, Murasakibara.

Now that she thought of it, her group of her friends consisted of quite the rude, blunt or nonchalant individuals, excluding her, Momoi and Akashi. That was **half** of them.

"Manai? You're walking home alone?" the voice came unexpectedly, nearly causing her to flinch.

"A-Ah, Nijimura-san..." she hoped she didn't stutter, gazing up at the ravenette. "Yes, I am." she answered his earlier question.

"Want me to walk you home?" he offered, he found the need to, as a responsible senpai to his kōhai.

While she was surprised to see him, much like before the start of the discussion, she didn't see a reason to refuse especially after him offering to. She didn't want to hurt his feelings by saying no and caused another awkward tension between them. She had had enough with Aomine several days ago.

"S-Sure." she responded, ready to take a step away from the school building.

...Well, until she realised it was weird that the older ravenette was here but her redhead President was not when they were both in the basketball club. And today was Monday; _basketball club's practice._

The reason why she wasn't walking home with her bestfriend, her recently-crowned older brother and her colourful band of friends.

It didn't make sense to her that the teen before her was skipping practice unless he had a very good reason for it. He just didn't seem to be the type of person who do things without careful considerations.

So why was he here?

And was she supposed to ask?

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, what's Nijimura's reason for skipping practice? Will Yume ask?_


	33. Chapter 32 - A bird does not sing becaus

Another fluff! Is Nijimura OOC here? I tried to keep him in character, but it's probably off… And anyone notices how the title of every chapters is a reference to a quote? How about the title of this chapter? Anyone know its continuation?

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 32 - A bird does not sing because it has an answer**

The vicinity around the school building was nearly desolated, as club activities were held within the confines of buildings throughout the school ground and those students who didn't have any on the day, had left when the bell signalled the time to go.

The soft afternoon glow casted a shadow on the two teens getting ready to head home and the quiet atmosphere really helped creating the mood, a somewhat melancholic one, as they stood side-by-side with a distance enough to consider them as close acquaintances, but not exactly friends.

If it wasn't hard to question his presence before, it was now.

The brunette hesitated and it showed in her gestures; her flitting gaze, shifting between him and the ground, as well as her fidgeting toes against the surface.

"U-Uh, Nijimura-san? Are you... skipping practice today?" her voice came out in a whisper, as if she was afraid he would hear her.

While not comparable to a master, Yume wasn't a bad judge of character and she could tell the kind of individual one was. It told her, that he wasn't the type of person he appeared to be at the moment and she held firmly to her belief for it rarely failed her.

What she wasn't sure of, was if it was okay for her to pry. Because his 'good' reason, might be personal and thus should be respected and left alone.

The reaction she received was spontaneous and partly predictable, a tiny teasing smirk. "I asked for permission, I'm going for a hospital visit today." he explained, taking the first step out of school area.

The unexpected was the somewhat pensive air surrounding his playful smirk. That seemed to be her cue to stop advancing said topic and she quietly followed after him, muttering a low, "I see." before falling in steps with him by his side. She just felt like it wasn't her place to ask further, because they weren't close enough to tell each other of personal problems.

Nijimura didn't seem to be on the same wavelength as he spoke in a teasing, nonchalant, tone next. "You're not going to ask me?" he asked.

This flustered the brunette, and she nearly missed a step. She wasn't the clumsy one who would trip over her own feet! No, _not_ her.

"W-Who are you visiting?" she stammered, still recovering from the fact that she could have possibly embarrassed herself by falling over.

In hindsight, she probably should have worded her question better for it was a sensitive matter and she knew it. But the thoughts of almost embarrassing herself clouded her momentary judgement. And if her mind was clear then, perhaps she wouldn't even comply to his teasing and asked like he nudged her to. Because it really wasn't her place to know.

"My father..." the ravenette answered, his teasing gone, only a somber tone.

Whatever was on her mind was harshly shoved out of the window at his reply, she mentally chided herself for being too distracted over herself when she should be paying more attention to her response to what her senpai had to say. She honestly felt bad for asking. Insensitivity was again, Aomine's job, not hers.

"It's been a year since my father was hospitalised." he continued, he might have tried to smile to lighten up the mood, but it didn't deceive anyone. "His condition was improving ever so slightly but now it's stagnating."

"The doctors are afraid that if this persists, his condition will worsen and his life may be threatened..." he finished with his heavy worries hanging on the air as they walked on in silence.

The only sounds filling in their silence were those from the surroundings, a meowing cat, the faint honk of cars, a chirping bird, and other lighthearted sounds that were common on the roads.

It was well within expectation for her to say something, anything. But she wasn't sure what to say, what she could and couldn't. She was aware that her senpai was sad and worried for his father's condition. Which explained the pensive air around him when she asked if he's not attending the club.

Since the male next to her was the Captain, he must felt responsible for the club. But on the other hand, he also had his father's condition to worry about. He must had had it tough.

"You're amazing, Nijimura-san..." the praise easily slipped out of her lips, she was awed and her respect for him was almost tangible. A small sincere smile accompanied her compliment as she gazed up at his surprised dark eyes.

Finding it awkward to hold his gaze, she lowered hers towards the road, her paces relaxing. "My... _friends_ ," she still wasn't quite used referring to them with the term in front of other people, "they admire and respect Nijimura-san's ability as both a Captain and a person."

She took his silence as permission for her to continue, and she gladly did so. "Daiki-kun admires your talents in basketball, Nijimura-san. I heard from Sat-chan that he plays the same position as yours, uh, the Power Forward, I believe... Your experiences, how you play with both power and speed, a capable player you are." she smiled at this, recalling the rambunctious teen and his infectious grin in her mind.

"Sat-chan, she often compliments you too. She says it's easy to talk and discuss things with Nijimura-san and you always provide helpful insights." the pinkette had nothing but praises for her Captain, and she was somewhat envious her superior was a certain redhead unlike hers, who was indeed capable, but... _you know what._

"Midorima-kun..." now she was lost at what to say about him, the spectacled teen kept mostly to himself but his snide remarks mostly aimed at the tanned male if not the occasional purplehead giant. Other then that, what come out of him was the usual Oha Osa's morning readings.

In her uncertainty, she let out a shaky laugh to salvage the halted situation. "Well, Midorima-kun doesn't say much about you, Nijimura-san... But he never utters a negative word either. So I believe it means he respects you just that much because he nitpicks at nearly everything." she was convinced of that fact, especially the last part where the greenhead 'nitpicks at nearly everything'.

From her times as a member of the Student Council who was (un)fortunate enough to spend fifteen minutes every school days during lunch time with two colourful-haired teens, she knew what she was talking about. The greenhead found solace in complaining because it appeared to be the only language he could use to communicate with others.

Really, Aomine's statement of the spectacled teen being a 'tsundere' was closer to home each passing day she knew him. Hopefully, the greenhead would learn to speak the common language they were speaking as they got to know each other as there was nothing wrong in saying and admitting what you truly felt unless it involved a certain redhead, whose opinions of him would rather be buried six feet under if you were to keep your head where it belonged.

At least it was so for her. If the redhead caught wind of her _'hidden'_ thoughts regarding him... Well, she didn't know where she would be, and she **didn't** want to know.

"Murasakibara-kun rarely adheres to anyone's request if he doesn't acknowledge the person, but he does acknowledge Nijimura-san." she sweat dropped with a sheepish smile, she was aware of how hard it was to get the purplehead to behave if not for the incentive of treats. "He won't necessarily make troubles for you... _unless_ his snacks are involved." she muttered.

"Maybe you'd have a better chance of getting Daiki-kun to study than separating Murasakibara-kun from his snacks..." she mused to herself, her mutterings hardly audible to anyone else, but the amused ravenette next to her. "...or maybe both are exactly as impossible." she finished her musings with a convinced nod.

It was a logical and random thought, but it was still as amusing as it was enlightening.

Back to the conversation at hands, there was one other person she wasn't quite sure she wanted to talk about if it wasn't necessary to complete the set. "Uh, Akashi-kun... He is perfectly capable at anything he sets himself on." she began with a known fact they both knew as they worked with the same redhead, her smile brittle.

"...If, however, there's something he might be lacking, it's probably experiences." she caught his stare briefly before returning to the roads. "Since Akashi-kun is often at the top of command, he isn't quite familiar with how things are done in the lower sections."

This, she learned from working closely with the redhead in the Student Council the past months. Sometimes, common sense escaped her President and it was the responsibility of his humble subordinates to remind him and returned him to the tracks. It was also the reason why, in some works she was assigned as an advisor to the redhead for offering inputs his Vice President might be unable to deliver the way she did.

"And for that, he has different ideas and thinkings. Doesn't Akashi-kun seek Nijimura-san for advices and confirmations? He knows and understands what he didn't." she beamed a small smile at him, catching his surprised gaze fully.

It appeared that her senpai was stunned silent as he listened to her talking about her friends - his kōhais and club mates - on the sides he didn't know.

"Your father... I think he is also grateful to have a son like Nijimura-san, a considerate and responsible individual you are." she complimented sincerely, everything about her was radiating honesty. "To still find time to visit your father like this while maintaining your school's responsibilities..." she trailed off, letting the words hung in the air for a moment, before she flashed him a shy smile with slightly flushed cheeks.

"That's why, in my eyes, Nijimura-san _is_ amazing..." she whispered at his wide-eyed expression.

As usual, Yume didn't hold his gaze for longer than few seconds and she was soon staring at the road beneath her. It was out of her characters to behave like she just did. Normally, she wouldn't be so talkative and express what she saw and felt, but she saw him depressed and in dilemma, nudging her conscience to say something, to alleviate his concerns.

But when her senpai's silence stretched far too long for her liking, she grew worried and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She was afraid that she had said something wrong and panicked inwardly. Had she overstepped her boundaries?

"U-Uh, t-that... I-I... I didn't mean anything bad... I-I apologise if I overstepped the lines...!" she stuttered, halting in her steps to bow her head in apology at the older teen.

This seemed to take him out of whatever trance he was in and Nijimura blinked before finally responding to her frantic self. "It's not that," he shook his head at her, getting her to raise her head. "I'm just a bit... surprised you know my worries without me voicing them..." he smirked a little.

"Am I that easy to read?" his smirk and tone was playful, bordering teasing.

At her frantic shakes of head in denial, he smiled. He rubbed his neck with one hand, a nervous habit he developed over his teenage. "All this time, I honestly feel troubled. I don't know if I am capable enough for my position, and the appearance of Akashi made me rethink my position as the Captain. What's now with my father's condition..."

His expression took a sharp turn in his next words. "But now, thanks to you, at least I know that I can still hold the position. At least a little while more until Akashi learns what he needs to before succeeding my position as the Captain."

Nijimura grinned, this time it was his usual lopsided grin, cheerful and with a tinge of mischief, accentuating his youth. Along with this, he placed his hand on her head, slightly pushing her down.

"Thanks, Manai. Really." he spoke, the force he put on his push made her unable to see his expression as he said this.

The simple act had her blushing and even as she couldn't raise her gaze at him, she averted her eyes elsewhere quickly and didn't answer him other then a quiet nod. Inwardly, she wondered what's with boys and her head. Aomine seemed to like doing that to her as well. Murasakibara occasionally rested his head on top of hers, with his chin. Was it related to the differences in their heights?

"Where's your house, Manai? I have to take the bus." he informed her as well as asking, he had lifted his hand off her a while ago.

The brunette returned to reality at that, and she realised she hadn't told her senpai about her part-time work today. "A-Ah, I have a part-time work at the convenience store just on the right corner of this street." she told him.

He blinked once before smirking. "It's a nice coincidence then. I'm taking the bus from the bus stop on the street near the place you work. We can walk there together." he suggested.

Seeing nothing wrong with that, she mutely nodded again, averting her gaze to the side. When she was with him, she always ended up blushing somehow. It wasn't like this with the other boys, was it because he's older?

She stole a glance at him, taking in his manly features; chiselled jaw, angled nose and sharply-defined eyebrows above his clear, dark, onyx eyes.

'He's handsome...' a careless thought crossed her mind.

This realisation sent her to again duck her head, stewing in her embarrassment at the fact that she just _checked out_ her senpai. She hoped he would **never** know what she did.

She repented.

* * *

 *****From the eyes of a senpai**

It was pure coincidence that his kōhais were there on the meeting as representatives of their classes like he was.

It was partly a responsibility as a senpai to walk home his female kōhai when learning she had no one to walk with.

It was the 'need' to reply that he answered to her hesitant question.

It was the feeling of wanting to share his burdens with someone who would listen and kept his words locked securely that he spoke.

His worries for his father were eating him and his guilt for not prioritising his team weren't helping.

The father who raised him, the man who was once so huge, sturdy and out of reach was now weak and frail.

 _How could he not worry?_

Yet the team needed him now more than ever before. The brilliant prospects of four freshmen in the team required his guidance, someone to lead them the way.

 _How could he not feel responsible?_

He only expected for her to listen, lent a pair of earnest ears. He _didn't_ expect for her to start praising him.

With each words she spoke, the burdens he shouldered slowly faded away. His uncertainties, his guilts, and some of his worries.

He never thought that a non-club-member girl would be the one to tell him about his kōhais' views on him.

He also didn't think, that listening to her words would be witnessing a magic in act.

Of course, she surprised him in _all_ possible ways.

And still, underneath those surprises, was a shy, easily flustered young girl who was awkward with social interactions.

She was always full of surprises. But she was the sweet brunette with the most alluring soft limegreen eyes.

A girl by the name of Manai Yume.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, how will this conversation affect the two teens' relationship? How about Aomine and Yume?_


	34. Chapter 33 - It sings because it has a s

Christmas update! So yeah, Merry Christmas to all of you! I'm trying to finish a chapter of Blue Sky, My Dignified Imouto and Rainbow Drops. I have to watch the KnB episodes for the last one, so it might be a little late? First off though… Enjoy~!

 ** _To AngelicHallows_** ** _:_** Aww! I _am_ trying to get the hang of writing cliff-hanger! Yeah, I notice. I'm currently picking more books to read, learning to better my grammars and word positioning. And I'm glad you like it! Yume is kind of mellow, isn't she? Oh, and Nijimura returns in this chapter here!

 ** _To TheRealPower_** ** _:_** Uh. It's usually updated when I have the plots in my head and I'm motivated enough to type it? I try to update at least once a week though. And thanks! Glad you like it, I'm trying to write better since I know my grammars are still lacking...

 ** _To_** ** _:_** I know right? I already have in mind what to do with NijiYume, not sure if it's what you have in mind though. I just think it's best like that, with their young ages and all (hint, hint)! But no worries, NijiYume will stay for a long time~

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 33 - It sings because it has a song**

Another day passed and the meeting in preparation for the upcoming Cleaning Day on Saturday was concluded safely without much delays. Currently, the discussion was focused on which areas to clean and the necessary cleaning supplies concerning different grounds, as well as the budget the school provided for the purchases of the supplies.

Teikō would provide the cleaning detergents, but other cleaning supplies such as rags and dusters, were student's own responsibility to bring from home, which was logical as it didn't make sense for the school to purchase one for each student.

According to schedule, tomorrow the representatives would begin to submit the list of participating students in the cleaning activity, and discuss whose responsibility was the cleaning of the areas were tasked to, which would mean negotiations and quite a lot of persuasions.

With no part-time works to do, the fair brunette usually spent Tuesday reading in the library or going home for a day rest. Ever since she befriended the colourful band however, she started visiting the gym to watch the boys practicing and helping her bestfriend's chores as a manager.

Those gym visits were always initiated by said pinkette if not her childhood friend. Yume never really went on her own, after all, it wasn't her club and she felt it wasn't right to intrude on one's club practices.

And so, with this in mind, she decided to head home for a break and maybe study the next topic in her class.

As if reading her thoughts, a certain redhead appeared by her side without her notice, intent to invite the girl to the gym because he knew she wouldn't visit uninvited. Not even one word escaped his lips before another voice cut his should-be-speech.

"Manai," the older ravenette raised a casual wave at her, his expression contained the slightest sign of smile only a handful could detect.

"Another part-time work today?" he asked, stopping next to her, unknowingly hiding his shorter kōhai with his figure.

It's an improvement when she merely blinked at the question, despite immediately realising who was speaking to her. Usually, she would be blushing already. She shook her head lightly.

"No, not today, Nijimura-san." she answered steadily, inwardly glad that she successfully suppressed the heat trying to escape and flood her cheeks.

Her answer seemed to give the older male an idea, especially with how his eyes glinted. "Wanna watch our practice?" he bluntly threw the invitation.

The surprise didn't last long on her, as she had thought that if she did receive an invitation, then she would go. Rejecting an extended invitation wasn't polite and Tuesday was often the times for her to help her bestfriend with her club works when she's not too tired or not going to the library anyway. This too, he knew.

After all, he began taking note of the days he had seen her on the gym ever since the time he started noticing her. Even as she tried hard to hide herself following that brief 'exchange' at the mock match with Tomigaoka Middle School.

"...Sure." she nodded quietly.

Speaking of library though, it's been a while since she went to the library, where she met Kuroko for the first time. It's also been a while since she last saw the babyblue-haired boy. He was a nice company as he was different and somewhat pleasant with his quiet demeanour.

Soon, the three teens could be seen walking side-by-side as they were heading towards the same destination; the First Gym. Nothing much of significance was exchanged between them, mainly training stuffs for the two boys and offhanded conversation between the three. There was however, none between the redhead and the brunette without the participation of the ravenette.

Throughout their little journey, the only girl in the group constantly felt a pair of assessing eyes on her and she knew _who_ it was. It wasn't hard to tell since the stare came from the other end, and her senpai was in the middle. What she wasn't sure of, was why. And indeed, why was _he_ watching her?

 **Her redhead President.**

Curious as it was, she decided not to ask the person directly because no, she wasn't suicidal. To this day, she still found it difficult to find the redhead amiable. The few times she discovered something was 'off' with him scared her, and she just had to keep her distance.

"Well, here we are. Momoi should be there," the ravenette inclined his head to a certain direction where the pinkette was. "Later, Manai." he excused himself with a small back-wave.

As with his senpai, Akashi did the same but wordlessly. He nodded at the brunette before leaving after the Captain towards the dressing room to change into their training shirts. And as the brunette returned the gesture before making her way to her waving bestfriend, the redhead casted a brief glance at her from his peripheral vision.

This went unnoticed by her, as she was focusing on the excited manager. Because really, there were many chores waiting to be done; carrying the towels from the laundry room then folding them, refilling the water tumblers, and some others menial works. She had helped her friend for quite a while that the other managers have recognised her by now.

"Thanks for helping me, Yuu-chan, I'm really saved! Even though I know you're so busy..." the pinkette mumbled, casting an apologetic stare at her friend who was folding the many towels on her lap.

Her response was a small smile, there was no sign of annoyance in her expression. "It's okay, Sat-chan. I don't have much to do today." she replied.

Momoi enjoyed her manager position, but really, she preferred taking notes of the players' growth and planning training menus than actually cleaning after their messes and taking care of their needs. Which was why she was thankful that her friend was willing to help her with said jobs and she could observe the boys as she liked it, a note and a pen in hand.

The brunette herself didn't mind, cleaning take her mind off things, and this time, as she folded those towels, her gaze unconsciously trailed towards the court, after a _certain_ _ravenette_.

He was sweating from all the strenuous activities he's been doing and he was currently playing a practice match with the third years in the first string. He's the Captain of his team, and he was instructing his team members for a play.

Unknowingly, she stared just a moment too long because her bestfriend noticed her staring at the Captain. The pinkette blinked as she followed her friend's line of sight, and soon the smile on her face grew increasingly alarming.

"Eh, Yuu-chan? Anything you want to tell me about the Cleaning Day meeting yesterday?" her tone was playful and filled with mischief, as if she knew something her friend didn't.

The question surprised her and her staring instantly ceased, the sudden inquiry had her flustered, knowing she had been caught. "N-No! Why would you even ask that?" she nearly squeaked in her quick denial.

Apparently, the pinkette expected her reaction and smiled at this, humming playfully as she did so. "No~thing! I'm just curious." she sang-sung.

And though it was uncharacteristic for her, the brunette pouted at the vague response. She turned her face to the side in her annoyance at her friend. Seeing this, Momoi was just amused, she giggled.

Wednesday rolled and the day's meeting concluded with 1-B, decidedly to be responsible for the cleaning of their class, the hallways around their class (shared-responsibility with 1-A, 1-C and 1-D), the bathrooms on the second floor, the eastern stairs to second floor and the small yard on the eastern side of the school building.

During the meeting though, the appointed leader of the student representatives, a third-year, Katou Keiichi, pointed out that they need to ascertain the numbers of participating students from their classes soon as it was three days away from the D-day and also because the Student Council needed the numbers.

"Akashi, how is the Student Council's preparation?" he asked.

"We have selected some suppliers to handle the meals for the day. However, we do need the final number of participations to decide which supplier to choose." the redhead answered flawlessly, his tone clear and firm.

Katou nodded to show his understanding before he turned to face the rest of the representatives. "As such, please submit the final list of the participating students from each class by tomorrow."

Not long after, students began trickling out of the room, either heading home, or rushing to their ongoing club activities. There was however, a lone female student grumbling by the pillar near the room, on the corridor. A familiar figure for the brunette.

"Miyazawa-san? Is something wrong?" she slowly approached the ravenette, knowing that the girl wasn't in her best mood.

As with her prediction, the surprised ravenette turned sharply, about to lash out at whoever was dense enough to call her out, when she saw the same student she had somewhat grown to like since the past few weeks. Soon as she realised that, she blushed.

"I-It's nothing!" she huffed, turning away from the brunette to hide her red cheeks.

Even now, Yume still didn't see why the ravenette was so defensive around her. The Choir Club's budget matters were long concluded, so why still? It's not that she wanted to be friends, she only wished the two could be on amiable terms as they had to work together for at least the rest of the school year.

So she stayed while knowing she could leave. She waited patiently, for any reactions the ravenette might slipped. And at her prolonged silence, the grouchy female finally caved in, albeit hesitantly.

"...It's not that I'm worried about meagre attendances of my class on the Cleaning Day." she began slowly, her tone raising as she continued. "I'm concerned if they would actually clean as they're supposed to!" she finished aggressively.

It was no secret that 1-D had its own celebrity in the form of a blinding blonde who only recently made his debut in the entertainment industry, and while it tremendously helped the class' popularity during Teikō Festival, it could prove to be detrimental when most of the female students ogled him instead of carrying their responsibility.

So when prompted 'Why?', Miyazawa puffed her cheeks, unaware that her cheeks gained another shade of red as she pictured that attractive blonde classmate of hers. "There's this... cute, boy in my class, and he's always surrounded with the girls, disturbing the class's unity..." she confessed.

Almost instantly, the same blonde came to her mind, Kise was his name, as he introduced himself when they formally met at the bookstore where she worked. On the side note, it appeared that even the strict ravenette fancied the boy.

"I am absolutely sure that the girls are going to vie for his attention, chasing after him like rabid dogs rather than cleaning! That means there'll be more areas for the rest of us to clean!" she grumbled in annoyance, exasperated.

Sure, Kise was handsome, Miyazawa admitted that. He was pleasant to the eyes — _her_ eyes, and he was pretty friendly most of the times. Still, that was no reason to stalk the boy everywhere he went! She _only_ did that twice!

"Why can't those stupid flocks of girls understand not to trouble others over their idiotic fan-girling...?" she mumbled to herself.

As she sympathised with the depressed girl, the brunette mutely patted her shoulder to offer silent support, her smile slight. It was more of her conscience than her own doing. She simply felt it somewhat necessary to comfort the ravenette.

Miyazawa let a sigh slipped, revelling in the offered support as she stayed for a moment. Of course, until she realised whose presence it was, that she snapped out rather harshly and blushed fervently in embarrassment. She shook off the brunette's hand on her shoulder.

"I-I don't need your support!" she screeched, her face scarlet, before she dashed away from the scene.

As of the moment, Yume didn't know if she was to feel hurt for the apparent rejection or to be amused with the ravenette's reaction as she watched the furthering back. It was a bit of both, she decided.

With no basketball practice, the group of friends walked home together and as per usual, the pinkette and her childhood friend would later drop the brunette off at the bookstore for her part-time since the place was near their houses.

Unexpectedly, the lazy, couldn't-be-bothered purplehead giant was the one to start conversation, rare as it was. "...Can't I just skip tomorrow? It's a bother..." he complained, and even that sounded lazy.

"You're being irresponsible and inconsiderate, Murasakibara. I feel sorry for your classmates." that was the preachy Midorima, scolding the taller male with a disapproving gaze and matching frown.

Ever as smooth, the redhead took charge. "Unless you're sick, Murasakibara –complete with medical certificate –, you have an accident, or important business, you have to come." he informed, as if he recited the whole sentence.

Which no doubt elicited an indignant pout from the purplehead, unhappy he was. And really, he wasn't alone in that. The tanned male understood exactly where the giant was coming from as he would have boycotted regardless of punishments if not for his childhood friend's tattle-tale to his mother about the Cleaning Day.

His mother will make sure he attended even if she had to beat him black and blue. And that _wouldn't_ be the end of it. Oh yes. It wouldn't be pretty. It would be **bloody** murder.

"U-Uh, do you know, Murasakibara-kun? The Student Council organised a special meal with desserts from Blú Patisserie!" the brunette tried to motivate the obviously uninterested friend, (trying) appearing upbeat and cheery.

Well, after spending her time with the purplehead, she knew for sure that treats always did its job. Which was why it didn't surprise her when the male perked up immediately after she mentioned the famous patisserie. What she didn't expect was that he deflated right after.

"One cake isn't enough..." he muttered, losing whatever energy he was about to gain.

Going by the rewards-principle, Momoi couldn't help but agree. One slice of cake wouldn't get her to clean the school willingly. "I can see why..." she sweat dropped.

"A-Ah, the sweets-voucher! We can go this Sunday after the cleaning!" the brunette persisted, keeping a cheerful front and strained smile.

"I can go anytime. I don't have to clean." he returned, his still half-lidded eyes showed that he wasn't going to consider her offer.

Whereas the brunette was trying to convince the childish purplehead that the cleaning was worth doing, the spectacled greenhead was of different opinion. "Just give it up, Manai. There's no need to entice him with rewards, he's not a child." he stated firmly.

Truth to be told, she could understand the logic of her fellow Student Council members, and really, the purplehead wasn't even a part of her class. It was just that she felt like she need to motivate him so he would participate because the boy had to be more responsible, that he need to grow up. She suspected that he was the youngest, and thus was often let out of responsibilities, which wasn't a good thing seeing as how he turned out to be.

It seemed like a waste, because she knew, although a bit slow on the uptake, he was a capable individual if perked correctly. And as a member of a society, the boy had to contribute and function as one, or troubles would follow him everywhere he went. So she took out her _hidden_ card.

"Murasakibara-kun... There's this new snack in development and will be out next week..." she began in a low tone, almost a whisper as if she was telling a big secret, which it was, concerning the person she was telling it to. The slight widening of his eyes and meant that she got his attention, so she continued.

"...I can make sure you get one." she caught his gaze, which sparked with interest.

"What snack?" he questioned, definitely interested.

She didn't know it at the time, but her eyes glinted like a predator watching its cornered prey. "A new taste for maiubou —beef bulgogi." she whispered.

Needless to say, she got him where she wanted him. And right there and then, the redhead who had never strayed his gaze from her, had finished his observation and assumed a conclusion. He had made a decision, one she wouldn't know until much later. Of course, she wasn't aware of any of this.

"You're pretty hardworking, Yume." Aomine absently noted as he rested his arms over her head, lazily praising her. "You sure do troublesome stuffs, becoming committee and all. Akashi included. I can never do that." he shrugged.

Nearly without a pause, she answered naturally. "It's because there're people like Daiki-kun that people like Akashi-kun and I have to compensate for what you lack." she replied somewhat bluntly.

He smirked at this, unabashed by her response. "Well, thanks." he purposefully added more weight to her head, his tone teasing.

His arms alone were heavy, now that he used force to push her down, she frowned openly, clearly unamused by his action. "Get off my head." she shook his arms pointedly, pouting at him as soon as she was freed, all the while trying to glare at the amused tanned teen.

To him though, she looked like an angry deer; _harmless_. "Yeah, yeah. You look cute." he teased, with a smirk that really annoyed her.

In return, she puffed her cheeks, turning away from him to show that she's mad at him, huffing. Only to face the gob-smacked expressions of the other colourful blobs. When she noticed the bewildered stares, she blushed and hid her face with her fringes, ducking her head. She forgot she was with them.

Akashi appeared dumb-struck with his widened ruby orbs and slightly agape mouth as he stared at the flustered brunette and her failed attempt to hide her red cheeks. Midorima was staring at her real hard, as if he was trying to dissect her with his eyes. Murasakibara chewed his snacks slowly, his eyes trained on her but said nothing.

Momoi, as the only one used to this new interactions between the two teens comforted her by patting her back. "They will get used to it..." she murmured. "Like I did..." she mused.

Realising what she meant, but not having it in her to reply, she merely nodded meekly. The close-display of affections were fine when it was just them three; him, her and the pinkette as they were more often together. A familiar-sized hand soon descended on top of her head, the way it was rather rough was also no stranger to her.

"Don't think too much." he advised her. Who knew what was in her little head? He didn't want to know. He was satisfied knowing they were things he didn't need to know.

Akashi was the first from the confused three to return to reality as he silently turned to face the pinkette, searching for answers on her face. She only offered a sheepish smile, followed by a nod. Which answered his silent question, that yes, it's been a while since the two behaved that way around each other.

It wasn't clear when it started, but the two had been getting along especially well the past few days. And _who_ was to deny it?

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, the arc is closing soon! Will Yume see Kuroko? Or maybe even Kise?_


	35. Chapter 34 - No one has ever become poor

Should have posted this chapter earlier, but well… I'm more into reading than writing these days, it's kinda hard to gather my thoughts enough to actually type. I have the general plots ready, so I really only need to turn those into paragraphs. I'll try to write the next chapter and post it soon~!

 _ **To OneWhoReadsTooMuch:** Hiya! Well, yeah. For Yume, 'love' is something she doesn't even consider, at least not now. And she is a bit socially awkward, so she still has to fix that first. Making friends, surrounding herself with people and perhaps joining some kind of club! Who knows?_

 _ **To Silver Hydrangea:** Thanks! Yume and Akashi, eh? Interesting? Absolutely. Possible? Not a chance. I don't think as of right now, Yume will see Akashi in romantic light. The boy scares her. She avoids any possible interactions with Akashi because she fears him and he never misses the chance to unnerve her. I think Yume will run at the first chance if Akashi was to say anything remotely close to confession. Really._

 _ **To fantasy.92:** I wonder. I think Akashi sees Yume as a form of entertainment, a mystery to solve and someone to rattle. He is kind of sadistic like that. Akashi likes making her flustered and embarrassed most of the time, her naïvety and earnest reaction is probably what he likes most of her. At the moment though, I think Akashi sees Yume more as a possession than she is a person. Again, who knows?_

 _ **To Queen. Ezra:** The reason to that is because Kise is not yet affiliated to the basketball club. He is more of a school celebrity right now. Which is why Yume will only see him from time to time and will refrain from more than required interactions, so does Kise. As to answer your question, you can be sure if that was to happen, Yume will stay far far away from him because Kise attracts attention like sugar do ants._

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 34 - No one has ever become poor by giving**

The fourth day of the meeting safely came to pass and a brunette could be found heading towards the school library after offering short farewells to her few acquaintances who were a redhead and a ravenette. It was merely courtesy of course, for she did the same to her fellow representatives attending the meeting.

A certain same-aged ravenette she had the pleasure to know wasn't excluded, and Miyazawa actually stole glances at her, appearing to have something to say. At the last moment when the brunette caught her gaze however, she blushed and turned away from the vicinity. Thus effectively cancelling whatever she had to say.

At this moment, she had deemed the occurrence to be common and simply derived slight amusement from the ravenette's blatant dismissal of her. It would take time for the girl to warm up to her because the Choir girl was simply too prideful. Although pride was a fragile thing, at least it would be one reason why said girl would carry herself with enough grace whenever the two had to work together. Failing was humiliating, that's why.

In a hurried pace, Yume returned the books she previously checked out from the library, opting not to borrow for the time being as she was pressed for the week but promising to do so later next week. To add to her list, she had her convenience store part-time work today. And she really couldn't afford to be late. Punctuality was regarded highly when you're an employee.

'Kuroko-kun wasn't in...' she noted as an after-thought. Whenever she stopped by the library, the babyblue-haired boy never failed to cross her mind.

'Ah. Kuroko-kun is in the basketball club too. He has practice,' she belatedly realised. Her image of the quiet boy was more of him in the peaceful place like the library than in the crowded gym.

Arriving at her workplace, she quickly changed to her work outfit and shifted in for the previous part-time worker, a university student in her 4th year, Suzuki Satomi. Who was lounging around the counter when she entered the convenience store.

"You're here on time as usual! Aren't you a good girl, Yume-chan?" the older girl stood up from beyond the counter to ruffle the brunette's hair adoringly. A usual scene in the store when the two were in.

Also as per usual, the younger girl huffs as she begins to push the older female out of the counter and towards the store's entrance. "Yes, I am. And Satomi-san should quicken her paces or she will be late to her class," she intoned tiredly.

In normal circumstances, Yume would have addressed the older girl by her family name, 'Suzuki-san' and she did the first few times until said woman thought it was too distant and stuffy, loudly declaring that she wouldn't respond if it wasn't her given name she was called. And since the older one was overly stubborn, she went along with it, albeit reluctantly.

"Hai, hai..." the university student let herself be pushed to the front door, nonchalantly waving back. "Young children these days... too strict with themselves...! There's nothing wrong with relaxing now and then," she mumbled, sulking as she walked further away.

With her colleague still within her hearing range, she heard what was said and while she agreed with relaxing once in a while, the problem here was, that Suzuki was too relaxed that she might have to go for another year at university because of her overly lax attitude.

There were three part-time workers here including Yume —excluding the manager —and out of them all, Suzuki was the one with the highest tardiness record despite being the oldest out of the three part-timers, something the manager never failed to point out during their monthly meeting.

A sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head lightly. At the rate the woman was going, she would land herself in various troubles in the near future. She needed to fix that overly lax nature of hers.

 _"...Can't I just skip tomorrow? It's a bother..." a certain purplehead voiced his annoyance._

Ah, yes. There was someone similar to Suzuki, a student of her own school. The part where they were unmotivated was especially alike and now she couldn't help but worry for his future. At least her friend Aomine still had something he was passionate about, even with a blockhead. Also, his personality was still easier in the eyes of society.

From the depth of her heart, she truly wished the purplehead would find something to love and strive for other then sweets, something he could make a living from. Well, perhaps with what glimpses she had of his talents in baking, he could still pass as a magnificent baker, so she supposed it was fine. She could only hope the cakes survived long enough to reach the customers.

Even then, she couldn't be sure of his working attitude. Murasakibara seemed like he'd rather be late than early, lazing around than working hard and he had... few screws loose that his socialising skills might be just a tad bit affected towards the negative side.

Cutting her thoughts short was the ringing of the bell, signalling the arrival of a customer. She raised her attention to greet said person, only for the words to stop in her throat and eyes blinking in bewilderment as she recognised the individual by the entrance.

"Kuroko-kun," she called his name, showing her surprise at his presence.

The boy's expression was blank —as it usually was— until his mystifying babyblue eyes landed on the brunette and widened. "Manai-san," he inclined his head.

Kuroko walked towards her, stopping by the counter she was at, "I didn't know you work here." He was a frequent customer to this convenience store and the male university student was usually the one to welcome him and rarely, the older female, also a university student. Yet never the brunette.

"Oh... I began soon after I was accepted into Teikō though," she replied sheepishly, light red covering her cheeks. She was curious why she had never seen him in before when due to distance reason, this convenience store received lots of Teikō's students.

"Right, why are here, Kuroko-kun? Don't you have... basketball practice?" she questioned with slight head tilt, confusion flashing in her eyes. He wasn't supposed to be here at this time and they both knew it.

A certain nervous tick he seemed to have and she noticed —rubbing his cheek with his index finger— appeared, earning him an imperceptible raise of her eyebrow. "I need to pick up some kinesio tapes, Manai-san. The club runs out of them and I offer to go since I need to replenish my own stock as well," he confessed.

'A manager's job', was her first thought. 'Weird,' being second.

She blinked once, but didn't question him further and instead, noted his knowledge. "It's a good thing you know we stock kinesio tapes, Kuroko-kun. Most convenience store don't," she smiled.

The girl made a turn towards the storage, leaving her customer by the counter as she searched for the specific box.

"I asked Ichikawa-san if he could order them. I have been a regular ever since," he answered. His gaze lingering on her back as she put aside another box which wasn't it.

'Ah, no wonder...' she hummed to herself. It's getting easier to talk to people these days, especially those she found agreeable and not-so-much-a-stranger.

Her senpai, Ichikawa Toshio, had talked about her schoolmate before; the basketball boy who asked for kinesio tapes in a convenience store. Perhaps she should have realised earlier, her senpai did mention how the boy was so pale that he almost blended with the background. She was actually the one to order the kinesio tapes, just enough to fulfil this customer's request since she doubted others thought of getting one in a convenience store.

There was the right box lying by the corner of the room and she picked it up, confirming what's inside and brought it to the counter before the boy. She pushed her fingers against the keyboard, and the screen flashed with the price, "That's ¥6250, Kuroko-kun."

Six paper bills of one thousands and few yen coins were handed to her and she placed them in the cashier. The small box the length of a textbook was given in return, properly in a bag.

Just for the sake of conversation, and curiosity as he wasn't about to leave straightaway, she asked, "Uh, do you always substitute the manager of your club to pick the tapes?" Because that just wasn't right, it was in manager's job description as far as she knew. His answer was something she didn't expect.

"The third string doesn't have a manager."

He spoke it so bluntly with a blank stare he was known for, taking the girl by surprise. And he knew so from her wide-eyed expression she gave him. "The third stringers have always been... an _oddball_ , even if we are the same basketball club," he began so quietly. The next was smudged by an ounce of sadness.

"Perhaps it is due to the fact we are the outliers; ones who would _never_ represent the school."

The way he described it, she didn't like it. The boys were sorted according to the differences in talent but certainly not effort. She knew, how Kuroko never missed a single day of practice if he could help it and he was passionate in pursuing his love for the sport.

And by having to go out of his way to pick up supplies like he's doing, he's missing out on the important practice time.

It didn't take long for her to decide.

"This is just a suggestion, Kuroko-kun... But, I can deliver whatever you need from our store to Third Gym?" she was a bit hesitant, unsure if this was fine. It was just a favour for a regular customer, nothing more, right...?

"W-We're both students of Teikō, see? I can take the supplies home the day before and gives it to you at school the next day," she stammered, heat creeping up her cheeks as she was getting more nervous as the seconds ticked by with no visible response from the boy.

He blinked. Again. "...I appreciate the offer," he began, about to refuse as he didn't want to trouble her. She recognised what he was going to say from his expression and cut into it.

"It's nothing much!" she squeaked, surprising even herself, the latter more as the red on her face darkened. "Y-You're a valued regular, Kuroko-kun and goods delivery is a compliment from us..." that was true, to a certain extent.

"Besides... I know how serious you are about basketball practice. I... don't want you to lose time for this," her voice softer and a quiet whisper, unable to held his gaze as her eyes wandered.

Silence filled the room. It was unnerving for the girl to say the least. But the boy finally graced her with the slightest smile, soft and gentle, the kind of smile that suited him most as it brightened up his whole demeanour and somehow he didn't appear like he would vanish any moment now.

"I really appreciate it," he thanked her with a grateful nod.

As her eyes met his, she returned his smile with her own, wider but softer with a tinge of feminine charm. Before blushing. She could never seem to free herself from that certain habit of hers. "Friends are supposed to help each other," she managed to say before her gaze once again swept the floor.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was surprised that the reserved brunette considered him a friend, they didn't spend time with each other much and certainly not actively seeking for the other's presence. The sincerity in her words was real and he could see it, and he was happy.

So he nodded, his minuscule smile lingered a just moment longer.

"Yes," he replied simply, but with a tone containing his feelings.

The delighted smile she flashed him after, with light blush brushing her cheeks was more than enough for him.

* * *

 *****From the eyes of a shadow**

He had always been in the background.

Watching. Observing. _Forgotten_. _**Unseen**_.

It changed when he met a certain bumbling boy with the widest grin and love for a sport played with an orange ball.

That had been one of the happiest time for him. But things had to change, time had to move forward. And so he did.

He kept in contact with his friend, a friend who was better in the sport they both loved. It was suffocating sometimes.

He had thought that nothing would be different in his new school, no one would notice him until he spoke loud enough to jerk people's attention before forgetting his existence altogether.

 _"..You've got such a beautiful babyblue hair..."_

It was... _weird_ when he heard someone said that. Even weirder when the girl ran away after blushing few shades of red it almost looked unhealthy.

But it was something new and refreshing. Pleasant even.

He began noticing the brunette more after that. She wasn't extraordinarily beautiful, but she had a pair of the softest limegreen eyes which were alluring.

She was desperately avoiding him for a while. He didn't mind much of it. Their interactions were supposed to be a one-time thing after all.

The Student Council's member announcement was when he heard her name publicised. He didn't think she would run for a position in the Student Council.

The next time they met was when she bumped into him with a stack of papers in her armful. He helped her of course, he was raised to be a gentleman and he owed it to his grandmother.

Things get better after that encounter. He made it clear that he didn't mind her compliment on their first meeting. She blushed again, but she smiled this time.

He secretly looked forward to the next time they met.

It turned out that someone was specifically targeting the brunette, he wasn't sure why. But she seemed to be in need of assistance, so he offered his. And she was thankful.

They met a few times in the library and exchanged brief greetings. It was during the preparation for the Cultural Festival did they talk again.

He wasn't sure why she was visiting the basketball club when Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun were club members, they should have known. But he welcomed her presence.

She made an effort to befriend him, a first time. He thought it was nice. She was nice.

Teikō's Festival was crowded and he was especially noticed in his class' event, although it was as the rumoured ghost. He didn't mind.

She actually came to the Third Gym, for him. So he made sure to be the best guide for her as a gratitude. It worked well.

He didn't see her during the Last Event. Nor since.

The afternoon where someone was to pick up the kinesio tapes for the third stringers, he volunteered. Ichikawa-san was a nice university student who agreed to stock the tapes for him, although it was only a convenience store.

It wasn't the male university student this time, waiting by the counter to greet him. It was her. A surprise.

She asked about a manager of the third string, he answered it was nonexistent. She seemed to not have expected that.

One thing led to another, he eventually accepted her offer for the goods delivery to school, after making sure it wasn't an inconvenience to her.

 _"Friends are supposed to help each other."_

That was another surprise. It was the first time she referred to him as a friend and it affected him more than it should have. He liked it.

And her radiant smile with her lightly tinted cheeks was more than a reward for him.

 _'Soft peach suits her,'_ he decided. Especially for her cheeks.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, the last day before the event! Will Kise make his appearance?_


	36. Chapter 35 - Life is nothing without a

Well, I hope this makes up for the lack of updates! I'll try to get more chapters out, but the next chapter still need a few fixing here and there, the few chapters after will be easier though. And here's Kise, although it was short. I promise there'll be more in the next chapter or the next, or maybe the one after that.

 _ **To fantasy.92:** Eh? I don't know about that. Yume and the Generation of Miracles are still first years, romantic attraction will probably begin budding late in their second year. Do you think Yume and Kuroko will be a good match?_

 _ **To Silver Hydrangea:** Yeah, interesting. Maybe things will change when something happens between them and they have to re-evaluate their opinions of the other? __Perhaps then Yume will start seeing Akashi for who he truly was, and the latter viewing the girl as something more than an entertainment? As for Yume and Kuroko, I have a general idea where their friendship will headed._

 _ **To The Flightless Girl:** Yeah, it's different, eh? It's mellow and fluffy? There's no doubt about it, Yume and Kuroko will only interact more when he joins the first stringers. Eh, the latter can be avoided or played out differently. One addition to a story can changes the plots in a way only he or she knows, don't you think?_

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 35 - Life is nothing without a little chaos to make it interesting**

The absence of basketball club activities meant a certain brunette and a group of five rainbow-coloured individuals would walk home together after the conclusion of the Cleaning Day discussion, it was an unspoken agreement, seeing as she had no part-time today. As it was the day before the D-day, there were nothing much left to discuss and thus the meeting ended quickly.

Her friends wouldn't mind the wait, for the meeting to end that is. At the moment, Yume was hurrying to the library to return one book she forgot to the day before. The book was left on her bedside, the reason why she forgot only that one book since the rest were stacked neatly on the counter by the kitchen.

She had told her pink-haired friend during lunch and assuming Akashi let her left the room without him to the opposite direction, he was also aware of what she intended to do. At least she hoped so.

There was truly nothing she could be sure about her redhead President other then the general consensus. And she was quite sure she didn't need to know more than what she already did. One could only shudder, imagine what he would do if anything sensitive about the boy was known.

It was best if she could stay away from him. Unfortunately, that was not a viable choice.

 _"—skip tomorrow? I'm one-hundred percent serious, Hiroko-cchi!"_

The frantic whine had the brunette turned head and stopping her momentarily to look for the source. It was someone kind of familiar to her, the golden-blonde haired one —popular and supposedly friendly— speaking to a fancy looking cellphone as he stood by the yard parted by the outdoor corridor.

"Isn't there any works for me? Anything at all? Hiroko-cchi! Eh? No! There's no way I'm spending my time cleaning the school with the whole student female body on my tail! They'll distract me from whatever cleaning I'm supposed to do!"

Ah, it appeared his popularity did come with something less desirable in the package. This must be what's Miyazawa was talking about few days ago. Hearing it from the first person concerned, it sounded very serious and somewhat pitiful.

Nevertheless, he chose his path as did she, although she was more _coerced_ to it. And she had to hurry. With that in mind, she picked up her feet and returned to her paces, taking three steps forward before the boy turned around and to face her directly, straight at her eyes.

"..."

"..."

The stunned boy did nothing to his his surprise, his eyes wide blinking in silence as his intent staring halted her in her steps. When she deemed he wouldn't say a thing to break the silence even when his lips parted open and the person on the other side of his phone yelled at him to focus, with a blink, she inclined her head as to acknowledge his presence before resuming her walk.

As she was already late, she decided to quicken her paces and it was certainly _not_ to get away from the awkward situation she managed to land herself in earlier with the golden-haired boy.

Yeah. It was because her friends were waiting for her and she had to be considerate to them. And if she didn't take the same path for her return trip, it was because she suddenly had the urge to see the cherry blossom tree just on the opposite side. Coincidentally, she could get to her friends from there.

"...Ugh," Kise slumped forward in dejection, grey clouds hanging above his head. The one girl who didn't go crazy over him just had to be the girl who heard him complaining and wanting to skip out on his responsibilities.

"Wahhh! Now she will think I'm an irresponsible person! What should I do, Hiroko-cchi? She misunderstands my intention!" he continued whining with his high-pitched tone, his arms wailing about as fat tears streamed out of his eyes.

"...and why are you telling me this? BE SERIOUS, KISE! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH LISTENING TO YOUR NONSENSES! YOU'LL ATTEND WHATEVER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES YOU HAVE TOMORROW! NO SKIPPING! I WILL HEAR NO MORE OF THIS! Now if _you_ are done, I AM BUSY!" _—clicked._

The beeping dead tones had him pouting at his phone because he couldn't to his manager, not without consequences. He sulked unhappily. Now he had to clean the school tomorrow and the girl he actually found agreeable had negative opinion on him. _Great._

And his fangirls would have a field day. _Just great._

Meanwhile, said brunette actually didn't think much of the blonde. Only noting that he was trying to escape his responsibility as a student for fear of his fan girls, as Miyazawa told her before.

'I wonder what bewitches the girls...' she thought, her mind wandering.

Sure, she could see and agree that the boy was attractive, with his golden-amber hair and matching gentle eyes. But they certainly _weren't_ enough to drool over. Right...?

Well, no use thinking of something she didn't understand, she better returned the book quickly and joined her awaiting friends before some of them began to complain. She could already pictured few grumbling.

Yume first recognised the bright colours on top of heads by the school gates and within five metres, she could already hear the lively chatters. It put an involuntary smile on her face.

Just as she expected, few grumbled at they considered her to be late; Aomine, Murasakibara and (subtly) Midorima. The three were more impatient than the rest in the group for different reasons. For example, Midorima disliked wasting time for anything unimportant while Aomine just couldn't be told to wait without anything to exert his energy. Murasakibara simply disliked waiting, though with _certain_ measures, he wouldn't mind waiting for years.

It was a blessing that her President was a patient and reasonable man, which meant she wouldn't get in trouble so long as she had a valid excuse for making _him_ wait. Just the thought of it was enough to rack her body with shudders.

Sweet Momoi was an understanding friend, and so was not a problem. She was a true blessing.

"Geez, do we really have to clean the whole school? I thought we're supposed to study, not being a janitor! Kaa-san even stocks me more than Inchou told us to bring!" Aomine trudged with a frown marring his expression, affronted.

His childhood friend giggled at this, amused. "Obaa-san always wants you learn to clean, Dai-chan. Despite how the school enforces it though, you never clean at home. And don't even get me started on your studies!" she finished with an angry pout because she didn't find the last part funny.

"...Who cares if my room is messy as long as I can still find what I need?" he grumbled in response, smirking as an idea to avoid the upset pinkette crossed his mind and he nudged his friend walking between him and his childhood friend.

"Right, Yume?" he gave her a conspiratorial grin.

It was obvious he wanted her to agree so he wouldn't receive the full brunt of Momoi's anger. Too bad for him, she had a different idea.

"Unfortunately, I don't know such thing because my room is always clean. But I'm not surprised yours is the opposite, Daiki-kun," she responded with a slight tilt of her head and a small teasing smile.

"Why you..." the tanned teen appeared vandalised as he reached for her head, messing it in retaliation. "Cute little sister has to defend her older brother!" he had his arm around her neck to prevent her from escaping and the other ruffling her brown hair.

All teasings slipped her mind as she found herself in a choke hold and she wasn't happy. "...Maybe I will consider doing that if the older brother stops messing his little sister's hair," she struggled, to no avail for he was stronger than her.

Her reply only made him grin, widening by the seconds as he saw her pouting almost childishly. It wasn't long before her pout broke into a small, amiable smile flashed his way. Because even in her situation, she still found it to be fun. And smiling even wider was Momoi by her side.

Needless to say, the three boys walking slightly ahead felt excluded despite belonging to the same group. They couldn't help but make backward glances in their peripheral vision every once in a while.

"...The three of you appear to be closer than ever," the startling statement came from the number-one prick of the group, who would claim that he was just walking with the rest because it was on his way home.

Midorima didn't voice his thoughts because he felt excluded of course, nor was he lonely. He only saw it necessary to state the three's improving friendship and he was only curious when did it all happen. He had seen the brunette and his clubmate's changing interactions few days ago, but he didn't know the full story.

Being the brash guy he was, the first one to respond was Aomine, who had a smug grin on. "What? Is Midorima jealous?" he raised his eyebrow to further enhance his teasing.

"No." the answer was instantaneous, his firm denial followed by a death glare directed at yours truly.

"I don't envy such relationship with a baka like you. I was simply curious," he continued with his explanation, his glasses going up his nose to conceal what he felt was shown on his eyes.

Aomine didn't drop his grin, it merely morphed into a smirk. "The 'baka' matters have been settled last exam, Midorima. You're the baka," he retorts.

Coloured eyes shifted sideway and forward to see the greenhead's reaction, which had been him gritting his teeth in annoyance. But it wasn't long before it turned into a surprising smirk.

 _"Aho."_

.

.

.

"...Oh no, you don't. You're not playing fair, Midorima!" Aomine snarled at the greenhead, almost like a growl. His feet stopping.

This time, he was the one to don the smug look as he smirked, "I didn't do anything against our bet agreement. I simply agreed to bet the use of the term 'baka', not 'aho'."

If the tanned teen was angered and annoyed as he was feeling cheated and lunged at the bespectacled male seconds later, it wasn't without a reason. It was a good thing that the two girls were ready to hold the boy back as they locked down his arms.

 _"LET ME AT HIM!"_

The scream was deafening, more so for the two girls so close to the boy. His rage was not so easily quelled and the greenhead's triumphant smirk certainly wasn't helping. The difference in strength were obvious when the girls heavily struggled to stop the tanned teen from advancing.

Yet the bespectacled male stood proudly with his victorious expression, the redhead's blank stare and the purplehead's focused gaze on his back remained unseen.

It wasn't until the brunette gave him an impassive look that he changed his stance.

"...Midorima-kun, are _you_ really doing this...?" her tone was flat, her gaze levelled, and one who have known her could hear the disappointment in her words. Her opinions of the boy was plummeting at his childish display.

The result was nearly immediate, the greenhead tapped his glasses to the bridge of his nose to cover his expressive eyes with the help of his lens, and his hand for the light blush colouring his cheeks due to his embarrassment as he belatedly realised how immature he had been.

A sigh from his (one-sided) rival confirmed his suspicion, causing him to flinch minutely. Midorima averted his gaze anywhere but the still-shouting boy, the unimpressed brunette, the amused-and-exasperated redhead, as well as the rest of the group.

"Hmph," he harrumphed to avoid further embarrassment.

Murasakibara seemed to be under the impression that it was his turn to interfere, so with the uncaring expression he always had, he turned to face the brunette who could rest easier as the tanned teen stopped struggling just moments before.

"It's okay. Mine-chin and Mido-chin are both baka anyway," he stated factually, his head tilted the slightest. "Right, Mana-chin?"

Thus the purplehead giant became a target of death glares from the two addressed males who snapped their attentions at light-speed.

 ** _"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"_**

 ** _"—NANODAYO?!"_**

Another sigh, this time from the brunette who had given up trying to restrain her friend, so did her bestfriend. She could feel what exactly made the redhead slipped out his exasperation earlier. Although the realisation that she agreed with the redhead somehow disturbed her.

Her redhead President was a logical and reasonable man, she didn't doubt that. But he was one scary man that she couldn't help her shudders whenever a strange yet familiar glint flickered in his charismatic and eerily beautiful red eyes. Because she was sure he had thought of another troublesome thing for her to do. It was never in her wish to be likened to him, or even remotely similar.

Yume would later admit to her bestfriend that she smiled discreetly when she gazed at the colourful individuals. She was happy to call them her friends, even as unique as they were.

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, it's finally Cleaning Day! Maybe there will be unexpected interactions?_


	37. Chapter 36 - Hope for the best, plan for

It's a bit late, but I was on a trip so I couldn't update earlier. Anyway, I'm happy for the interests you all showed for this story! To be honest, I like reading all the reviews! I read all of them and is ever grateful. They hype me up to write more! I don't reply to every reviews, but I really do read all of them! I usually reply to a review when it asks for a clarification or is a question. Oh yeah, and this is **IMPORTANT** to the story: _Kobayashi Hideyoshi, Teikō's Principal is stated to be **fifties to sixties** , I'm changing it to **late thirties** to suit his part better. _ That's it!

 _ **To xxjaelee:** Welcome! And thanks! Well, I tried so it's nice to know that the characters are portrayed __well-enough. As for NijiYume, maybe after this chapter I can say that Yume has developed an admiration towards the ravenette Captain? It's not a crush, I have to emphasise that. It's the kind of respect one have for an older senpai, responsible and all that. Eh, who knows? I don't know yet of Yume's love interest. And no, this is not a discontinued story until it is completed, of course. A hiatus is possible though._

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 36 - Hope for the best, plan for the worst**

It was another day of Summer in Tokyo, the air was chiller than the day before but as always, it was a relatively hot day in Tokyo, which wasn't a good news for the students of Teikō. The school's gate was open despite it was Saturday to welcome the armed students with various cleaning supplies on their person.

With minimal uniforms of only a paleblue-buttoned shirt and black pants for males, with few wearing their black ties to complete the set and same shirt for females, only with a black bowstring around the collar and a black skirt, the students were all scattered around the field before the school building. Most of the them forming small groups as they chattered away.

With approximately 315 students each year, segregated into 8 classes with around 39 students in each, the crowds gathered in one place was indeed quite a surprising view with the grand numbers. It wasn't until the clock struck exactly at 7.00 in the morning did the noises died down.

"Ehem. Good morning to all of us; my proud students and teachers. Today, we assemble here to maintain our beloved school, Teikō. As your Principal, I have to say I am pleased to have nearly the whole student body present. Thank you for your participation students. And of course, the teachers are all in perfect attendances. Good work."

The man stood in his well-tailored suit, his ashen brown eyes sweeping past every students who had broken up from their little groups soon after he called for attention. Kobayashi Hideyoshi was quite a handsome man with his hazel almond-shaped eyes and matching coloured hair neatly styled to accentuate his features of a man in his prime; late thirties, and women would still swoon for his charisma.

"Without further ado, let us now proceed to the main event. Students, you know what to do; follow the student representative of your class and your homeroom teacher who will show you to the designated areas for each class. Teachers, please guide our students through and ensure all is well. Best of luck to all of us."

Applauses echoed covering the whole field, some teachers giving affirmation nods at the quite young and freshly-elected Principal. Kobayashi had just taken up his office five years ago and this was his sixth year. It was expected that he would head the institution for at least four more years and another five if his work dynamic was proven to be remarkable, thus; _fresh_.

As the well-groomed man backed away from the slightly elevated ground, his sharp gaze watched as the hundreds of students slowly began to form lines according to their class, with four or three students from the same class standing at the very front, as well as each class' homeroom teacher to round up the students and for head counts.

Satisfied, Kobayashi took his first step to vacate the vicinity, his eyes unconsciously searched for, and almost immediately found a soft-amber haired female who was quietly listening to a pinkette, her lips quirked into a small smile as they both walked towards a group of their classmates.

There were especially many valuable talents this year, more so since his instalment as the Principal of Teikō five years ago. A certain redhead who he had his eyes on even before the first day of school; a form of perfection. He had at least a handful more, and the two girls he was gazing at earlier were part of his list. They would be most beneficial to Teikō.

Unbeknownst to others but himself, a cold, calculating smile took over his face on his walk back to his office.

"Is everyone here? I'm so proud of you all, my students! Indeed, I am! And to think you were all groaning when I announced about school cleaning... Oh, how much you've grown! I can still remember whe—"

"Yoshi-sensei. Please let us take over," Takahashi smiled, one that quickly silenced the twenty-years- something old man. He had learned not to oppose the younger girl's authority for she could be as scary as his mother when she had to.

Takahashi kept her smile, although it appeared less threatening and more sincere as she turned to 1-B's student representative. "Manai-san, if you may," she gestured for the brunette to take the lead.

It took a nudge from her bestfriend to abate her slight hesitation, but she eventually did. The brunette still didn't like standing before so many eyes focusing solely on her, it was... suffocating. Oh, the pressures.

"U-Uh, as we have discussed yesterday, 1-B will be responsible for the cleaning of our class, hallways to 1-A, 1-B, 1-C and 1-D, the bathrooms on the second floor, the eastern stairs to second floor and the small yard on the eastern side of the school building," she began, her tone faltering but was intoned clearly. Although the same couldn't be said for her flitting gaze.

"We have decided to clean our class last and begin with the school yard and the area around the stairs, also that we will split into two groups for this," she continued, slowly getting the hang of things, her breathing starting to stabilise.

"After which, one-half will clean the bathrooms and the other half to join students of 1-A, 1-C and 1-D to clean the hallways as a shared-responsibility," the brunette breathed out, her hesitant limegreen eyes rising enough to see her classmates' supportive looks. It warmed her chest somewhat.

"...Lastly, we will clean our class together," she let a small smile graced her lips, it was subtle but enough for her classmates.

 _"Ganbatte kudasai, minna-san._ _ **(1)**_ _"_ a soft whisper escaped her lips, her cheeks slightly pinked as she dipped her head to curtain her expressive eyes with her fringes.

The brunette was more known as 'Momoi Satsuki's bestfriend' and 'the girl who hangs around the colourful bunch' than as 'Manai Yume of 1-B'. Even her classmates weren't lucky enough to hold a conversation with her, she _wasn't_ bullied of course, but she rarely came out of her own volition to interact with her classmates, if ever. Some of them even formed a negative sort of opinions of the girl.

So the moment her classmates registered her words of encouragement, various responses were given, from accepting smiles to condescending smirks, affirmation nods and embarrassed head-turns, but nevertheless positive reactions. Something which didn't fail to elate the good-natured Yoshi-sensei. Before he could open his mouth and praise whoever for whatever following by reminiscing, Takahashi cut in.

"Okay, people. Let's get a move on!" the girl chirped as she took the lead, taking and pulling the brunette to walk by her side, a delighted smile on her face.

The quiet vice class president followed obediently after the females, the tiniest smile quirking his lips, a stammering Yoshi-sensei next and the amused students of 1-B at the very back. This was the dynamic of 1-B.

The homeroom teacher of each class as well as the student representative, herded their class towards the areas they were tasked to clean for the day. It was done without so much ruckus although some complains could still be heard travelling in the air. 1-B was one of the quietest class as they left the field earlier than the other, with less talking and more actions; something many teachers silently envied.

As she briefed her classmates earlier, the students of 1-B soon began to separate themselves into a perfect half of nineteen-nineteen, one-half was led by Takahashi —the class president— and Yoshi-sensei to clean the stairs area and the other half to be led by Yume and Katou —the class vice president— to be responsible for the school yard.

Although none was particularly delighted to clean, most of her classmates still had small smiles and slight excitements, likely from her earlier encouragement, which was thankful yet embarrassing. As they began to trickle to their positions, a smile lifted her features as she realised how nice it was to see that her classmates were all responsible.

Which reminded her of the golden-haired boy who was trying to skip the cleaning when she saw him the day before.

 _'Did he skip? Or is he here...?'_ she wondered, more curious and concerned for the ravenette's sake.

It seemed like a lost-lost situation whether the boy attended or not as his 'fangirls' could go either way; help cleaning or botch altogether. 1-D had it hard, she was grateful she was in 1-B.

"Yuu-chan! Are you listening?" her bestfriend huffed and pouted, knowing the brunette's mind was floating away and not with her.

The not-so-quiet call jolted her from her train of thoughts, and after seeing her friend's miffed expression, she smiled apologetically. "Uh, sorry, Sat-chan... Please continue," she urged.

Momoi huffed once more, but as always, she brightened up seconds later, chirping, "Anyway, I was saying that the National's preliminaries will start next week on Saturday! We're going against two opponents in one day, one of them, the Yamagata West, finished the prelims at the top four the year before! They still had their previous line-ups with new promising additions, so it's going to be a tough match."

The two girls were currently trailing behind the rest of the group on their way to the school yard and the brunette was ever thankful she was in the same group as her bestfriend. Katou was walking at the forefront to lead the group while she flanked the behind to make sure no one escaped or forgotten.

"Is practice going to be stepped up?" she asked, knowing full-well that it was one of the ways to prep the players for a difficult game. At least Momoi's basketball notes said so.

The pinkette however, shook her head. "Not necessarily. Shirogane-kantoku, that's our Head-coach, believes we are ready so he plans for the freshmen's debuts in the prelims."

 _'Freshmen? Which means... Daiki-kun and the rest?'_ surprise flashed across her expression but quickly replaced by understanding, her friend noticed.

Momoi nodded to confirm the brunette's ideas, she smiled, "According to schedule, the first stringers will be practicing from Monday to Thursday and the practice is specifically designed to rest the muscles while still maintaining the accumulated muscle memories from all the trainings. Friday is for resting before the preliminaries in Saturday."

It was always an awe-inspiring moment whenever her bestfriend switched into what she called the 'manager mode', the girl would show why her opponents had all the rights to fear her with how organised and accurate she was while still having the benefit of doubt and keeping second plan, if not third and fourth as well. Kuga, the Secretary of Student Council, was competent in what she did, but she couldn't stop thinking her bestfriend _could_ do better.

"Daiki-kun must be excited then," _he is a basketball junkie,_ she smiled in slight amusement and even lighter excitement. Although she had to wonder why her friend hadn't told her about this when he spoke basketball 24/7.

Said boy's childhood friend sighed painfully at this, frowning. "He is. _You don't know how excited he is._ I have to make sure Dai-chan doesn't overexert himself from excitements so I have to continuously tells him that the line-ups are already decided and there hasn't yet a concrete plan to involve the freshmen —which is a _lie_ but he buys it."

Ah. Truly, it wasn't hard to imagine the navyblue-haired teen to react with such vigour that he ended up straining his muscles. Often times, he was far too much of an idiot when he pursued his passions. Heaven was fair in giving him a caring childhood friend like the pinkette.

It was probably easier for the basketball-boy to accept her lies because he didn't want to be disappointed like during the practice match with Tomigaoka, where he was throughly amped up and yet the first years were barred from participating, him included. Although they still ended up playing, thanks to an interference she hadn't yet known. Akashi seemed to know though.

"Dai-chan is the only one under this impression, you know? Of freshmen not playing in the National because he is too gullible," the pinkette giggled slightly. Her childhood friend had been grumbling when she told him not to expect too much but there could still be a chance, however slightest.

As Akashi was the vice captain to the club, he was aware of the plan, and by extension, Midorima, who regularly interacted with the redhead. Murasakibara might have known but couldn't care less. Without doubt though, the last three could take care of themselves unlike this basketball-for-brain-boy mentioned.

The brunette shared her friend's giggles, hers more meek and sheepish. If Aomine found out he was being lied to, about basketball on top of that, he wasn't going to be happy and Momoi would be sorry, which meant that the pinkette would be owing a favour to the tanned teen.

Yume could already picture it; an annoyed navyblue-haired, an apologising pinkette with a matching smile, followed by a grumble from the boy then words to tell the girl she owed him one, finished by the latter agreeing sheepishly before everything returned to normal. _Predictable._

And while the childhood-friend pair's dynamics were predictable together, they were one-hundred-eighty degrees alone. Proven when the pinkette had these sudden sparkles in her eyes as another idea crossed her mind, something which undoubtedly involved her friend.

"Ne, Yuu-chan? Why don't you come watch our matches next Saturday?" she began, her smile wide and cunning. Before any words could escape her bestfriend, she continued, "We have two matches, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. _You can come, right?_ "

Cue to quivering pink lips, wide, doe-eyed peach eyes here, slightly moist to highlight her puppy-dog eyes look that made the brunette took a back-step and trying (and failing) to avert her eyes away from the strangely magnetic gaze.

"..."

"..."

"...I can go on the morning. I have a part-time at the bookstore from noon until afternoon," she finally conceded, her chest heaving in defeat. Her bestfriend knew her too well. Just when she started to build immunity to 'the look', her friend had to enhance it at least **two** more steps.

Momoi pouted at this, but at least she got what she wanted. She knew she couldn't make her friend take a day-off from her work, so she settled for one match. Her bestfriend didn't have it easy, she had to earn her own living at this age. It compelled her to thank her father and mother, who raised her well and provided her enough.

"Well, okay then~" she sang-sung, skipping three steps ahead in happy mood as the brunette sighed before slowly picking up her feet, "The boys will be _sooo_ happy!", she stopped here, glancing backward at her friend with a meaningful smile on her face, _"Nijimura-san too!"_

The sudden mention of the ravenette Captain halted the brunette in her steps, her cheeks immediately burned as she raised her gaze to eye her friend in surprise, she stuttered,

 _"W-What...?"_

A sly smirk bloomed in her face as the pinkette turned her head forward, skipping once more as she sang, "Nothing~!"

There it was again; an answer that was not an answer that was starting to annoy the brunette these days. Especially when someone as calculating as Momoi or Akashi said it, the latter more terrifying in a way that was downright scary.

"Yuu-chan, you can come to the gym next Tuesday, right?" she piped up, doing a topic change to avoid further questioning.

With her cheeks still holding the pink tints, the brunette nodded. "Y-Yeah..." she muttered in a slight daze.

"Good then!" Momoi continued on her merry way, intent to not receive a question regarding a certain ravenette captain.

Although embarrassed, she wanted to know what exactly her friend was implying, so her mouth parted opened, only for the pinkette to speak once more.

"We are here~!" she said in a tone happier than it should be, smiling innocently at her friend.

Which meant the brunette had to begrudgingly drop her question and join the quiet vice class president who had been giving her this inquiring flat look for a while now. So she trudged ahead and complied, allocating her classmates throughout the school yard with few instructions.

If anyone saw her coloured cheeks as she directed each one an area to clean, they didn't say anything.

And if anyone could read her mind, they would be able to see a certain ravenette captain filling her thoughts.

* * *

 _ **(1) Ganbatte kudasai, minna-san:**_ _lit. Please do your best, everyone. However, I like to see it as words of encouragement and support than its literal meaning which sounds demanding somewhat._

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, with everyone on the ride, will 'something' happen?_


	38. Chapter 37 - The existence of other

It hasn't been that long, has it? This seems to be the only story I'm updating lately and I really do need to update Rainbow Drops and Blue Sky. Oh well. It will happen. I think I will get a chapter up for the stories mentioned above before updating this story. On that note, I think this story is paced too slowly, so a speed-up is in order.

In the last chapter, I wrote **Katou** as _1-B's vice president_ , it should be **Yamato** , my mistake.

 **Pairings :** Undecided

 **Warnings :** Teikō Middle School Days.

 **Disclaimer :** I own only the OCs.

* * *

 **Chapter 37 - The existence of other people is essentially awkward**

Saturday in Teikō was noisy contrary to most schools which had the day off and the students leisurely enjoying themselves. The colour babyblue dominated the school grounds as well as in the buildings with its students scattered about, hands busied with mops, brooms, cleaning rags and few others. Chatters filled the air, be it mindless conversations, some jokes followed by laughters, or more frequently heard, annoyed grumbles.

Finished with her task, a certain brunette returned to her friend's side to sweep the ground around their designated area. The pinkette still had her _innocent_ smile plastered on her face, showing that the girl wouldn't answer any questions the brunette asked of her earlier. And while she was less than delighted, she silently accepted not to talk about a certain ravenette.

Yume was only curious. Why did _his_ name come up in the conversation? What exactly was her friend insinuating?...and most importantly, why was _she_ blushing? Maybe the last wasn't really a question she needed answer for, it just happened because the very presence of the male flustered her, much like a certain redhead.

It seemed she still found it hard to interact with opposite gender. Even it got awkward with her supposed-brother once in a while, as rare as it was lately.

"I hope Dai-chan is cleaning properly..." Momoi muttered worriedly, her lips pursed. She knew how the boy acted about cleaning, his room spoke volumes for it.

Momoi stopped mid-cleaning, her eyebrows knitted together and concerned peach eyes resting on her friend, "He won't give too much troubles to his classmates, right, Yuu-chan?" she asked, hoping for another to assure her.

The brunette smiled, her hands holding a broom. "Daiki-kun will be fine. He may be reckless and a bit lazy, but he's not irrespon—"

 _ **"AOMINE!"**_

"—sible..." she finished weakly, whatever confidence she had earlier gone without a trace. There was, after all, only one Aomine in the whole school.

 _ **"GET BACK HERE!"**_

The angry roar rang from the yard on the other side of the building, the area 1-C was supposed to start with. It was honestly impressive how the homeroom teacher's voice rose loud enough to alert the girls considering the distance and the window glasses might have shaken in its frame. And even more so for the boy who made it happened, for he managed to escape mere minutes into the task.

As friends of Aomine, both Momoi and Yume were embarrassed for their friend's misbehaviour. They shared a sigh, long and resigned at the thought of the currently running-for-his-life navyblue-haired. It seemed getting Aomine to clean would be a life-long mission with little chance of success.

"...Don't worry, Sat-chan. As soon as we're done here, we will move on to the hallways," the brunette begins with a shaky smile.

The class had agreed that the one-half which was led by Yoshi-sensei and Takahashi would clean the bathrooms on the second floor, while the other half would be responsible for the hallways with the three classes they shared the hallways with.

"Daiki-kun will be there," she continued, then muttered. _"...if he knows what's good for him."_

By some kind of fates, the colourful bunch and the brunette were in the halved-group assigned to clean the hallways to their classrooms, and the redhead had made it clear that everyone were to be present, the 'or else' was left hanging in the air even with the ever-smiling expression on his face.

"...Yeah, it's a nice coincidence that everyone is in the same group, ne?" she spoke, her smile brittle.

The brunette's first reaction had been a nod while her mind wandered off and conjured an image of a certain redhead, a smile tugging his lips in a way she could only perceive as eerie despite others viewing it as charming.

 _'There's no way...'_ she shuddered, _'right...?'_

Sound of giggles vanquished said image, and the brunette noticed it was her friend showing her amusement as she somehow noticed her line of thoughts.

"Akashi-kun isn't involved in this, Yuu-chan. At least, if he does, it doesn't reach my network," she said.

As her bestfriend, Momoi knew the brunette was somewhat averse towards the redhead, it showed in her twitching shoulders, maintained distance when the two walked together and such. It wasn't hard to guess why, Akashi wasn't exactly the friendliest person and he appeared like he had a hidden agenda to those observant enough.

Midorima, Yume and herself were these individuals in their little group. Murasakibara couldn't bring himself to care because he didn't think it worths the trouble, whereas Aomine had attention deficiency. Momoi herself was quite wary of Akashi, there was just something about him. It got better overtime and she forgot more often than not.

If there was one thing Yume could be sure of her friend, it was her information networks. Hearing her denying her suspicion, she was relieved. So she nodded, a small smile tugging her lips.

The cleaning was finished several hours into lunch. It hadn't been easy, the windows required polishing, the painted-walls some intense rubbing, heavy-mopping for the tiles, weeding by hands and sweeping with brooms for the yard. The corridor that connected the two buildings and the outer part of the buildinds were included as part of the deal. It took them about two hours to deem their handiworks acceptable within Teikō's standard.

"Can't we... can't we get fifteen-minutes break at least?" one of the boys huddled on the ground, groaned, already feeling their sore and aching muscles.

The boys were on heavy-duties which included weeding and wiping the walls to its original colour. With weeding, they could feel that persistent pain which elderlies felt around the waist and sores on both arms which were dedicated to the now sparkling walls.

"T-This...! is the most cleaning I've ever done in a year!" another piped up, too tired to even rub his sore muscles.

Emphathising with them, Yamato as the only boy standing, turned to the brunette. "Is that okay, Manai-san?" he asked with his board-like expression.

Now that she looked around, she could see exhaustion was present in everyone's face, she nodded, "It's okay, Yamato-san. Everyone deserves a rest for their hard work."

Yamato nodded once before he left to join the grateful boys who were looking at him like he's a hero, while the brunette joined the girls on the corridor, taking a seat next to her bestfriend, oblivious to the stares of the females of her classmates.

" _Otsukare san_ , Yuu-chan," Momoi smiled at her friend, her peach-coloured hair in a high-ponytail. _**(1)**_

"Sat-chan too, _Otsukare sama_ ," she replied, returning the smile. Soon as she placed herself next to the her friend, the pinkette leaned her head on her shoulder and she found herself not minding it at all.

Probably because they were bestfriends and had only gotten closer as the days went by, the fact that Momoi was of the same gender helped tremendously. There were things about girls, only girls would understand after all. Yume felt at ease around the pinkette, more than she ever did with anyone else who was not a family.

"U-Uh, M-Manai-san?" a squeaky voice sounded from above her, it was her classmate.

"Can I help you, Akimoto-san?" the brunette replied, her tone kind and her expression equally.

If anything, the dark-brown haired girl squeaked even more. Akimoto lost the _janken_ with her friends, so she had to be the one to do this despite her tendency to stutter her words. She made mental note that the brunette did know her name, she didn't expect that, they had never spoken before. _ **(2)**_

"I-I, u-uh, t-that..." she stammered, her words making no sense at all.

It seemed the pinkette thought the same with her apologetic expression on her face. Not the brunette though, she was still patiently waiting for the girl to finish, with her limegreen eyes staring straight into her caramel-coloured ones.

Akimoto Manaka had to remember what was it she was supposed to say to the brunette. Oh, yeah. "T-That, M-Manai-san... W-We are wondering i-if you a-and of course, Momoi-san w-want to j-join us f-for lunch l-later?" she braced herself to return the stare, it was rude not to when the other party offered her full-attention even with all her stutters.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

Yume had reacted in a way that was of surprise, she hadn't expect that. Here was, one of her classmates that wasn't her bestfriend, inviting her to lunch when the two never exchanged even one word to the other. She was the representative, she realised, but they actually wanted her to eat lunch with them?

Amused and delighted at the same time, Momoi struggled to keep her squeals lodged in her throat because it wouldn't do for her to start screeching and destroy this adorable moment where her friend took her first step to mingle with their classmates, her childhood friend always told her that her particular squeal was capable to pierce his eardrums, he was _exaggerating_ of course.

Realising she had been staring in bewilderment and unnerving the poor girl even more, the brunette forced herself to utter a response, whatever would do.

"I... I would, I mean, of course...! Thank you for the invitation, Akimoto-san," the brunette finally replied, she had been confused but then she smiled if only to help calm the fidgeting girl.

"I'm going as well, Akimoto-san! Don't worry, we'll be there! Yuu-chan too!" Momoi chirped as she looped her arm around the brunette, her smile blinding.

Akimoto stopped, her eyes wide. "R-Really? O-Okay, I—, no I mean, w-we would wait for you," she bowed before making a run for it, "W-We will be waiting!" she spoke before leaving.

When the girl finally joined her friends and told of of the news, they looked both surprised and happy, the girls turned to their directions with varying delighted smiles before returning to their conversations.

"Isn't that nice, Yuu-chan?" Momoi questioned, her head tilted, "This will be our first time, ne?"

"...Yes," she answered simply, a small smile tugging on her lips.

The brunette was happy. She was happy that she was invited and for finally integrating herself in the class. It had always been Momoi and her, she had always felt bad that the pinkette had somewhat alienated herself from the rest of the class because she was awkward with her classmates. Now though, it didn't have to be that way.

And the pinkette was the same, she was happy for the sake of her friend. She knew how the brunette had it a bit harder with people more than ordinary person would, she deduced it was something from her childhood. Which was why, she made it her personal mission to help the girl had more friends. Even if it meant she would have less time for her.

"Here. Thank you for your helpful tip, Momoi," the male teacher spoke with a seemingly flat tone as he held someone by the scruff of his neck.

Both Yume and her were currently cleaning the hallways, the colourful boys around them. They were assigned to the same group as Akashi asked, including the boy the teacher was holding like he would a cat.

"Yeah. Thank you _so_ much, Satsuki," the tanned teen was glaring at his childhood friend as he dangled from his teacher's arm, the man was actually persistent in finding him then lifting him like this.

It had been nice until his homeroom teacher found him napping on a tree in the most secluded spot no one else would actually know but his childhood friend who just had to betray him and rat him out. And that's about the whole story.

Apparently his teacher didn't appreciate the tone of his voice nor his sarcasm, so he was left rubbing his sore butt from the unwelcomed fall. The damned teacher didn't even say anything before he trotted away just like that.

"You should have known better than to skip this part of the cleaning at least, Aomine," Akashi spoke with a hint of disapproval in his voice and expression, subtle as ever.

Midorima scoffed, his fingers on his glasses, "What do you expect? He is an _aho_."

"Baka Mine-chin," added Murasakibara.

Before it escalated into a fight, the two girls stepped in and ushered the boys, the hot-headed and stubborn ones, away from another. Aomine was the hot-headed one, the stubborn, Midorima. The two boys didn't mix well and they knew it, picking a fight with the other at many given chances.

It wasn't even fifteen-minutes into cleaning, and Murasakibara was already asking about lunch, but considering he had nothing to chew on for the whole duration of cleaning since him doing so would go against the initial intention with the crumbs and all, it wasn't a surprise.

"Mana-chin, I'm hungry. I want lunch," he whined in a tone that was hopeful and somehow lacking enthusiasm.

The brunette had to wonder if the giant would be fine if a disaster struck and he had to conserve what emergency rations he had for three-whole days and not died from starvation. It was a food for thought, no pun intended.

"Lunch will be ready by noon, Murasakibara-kun. That's about two hours from now. It will be quite a while until then, but please keep at it. I can assure you that you can look forward to lunch," she replied with a kind smile reminiscent to that of a mother.

Yume had been the one to help look and decide which catering service they would use, then approved of it with an official seal. The delivery would be received by Takeda of the Student Council, he would collect the invoice and submit it to her when the day ended. It hadn't been cheap, with the huge number of orders as well as the standards quality Teikō demanded. It was a good treat indeed.

"Okay," the giant replied with more excitement, but was still lethargic in all. His movements were as sluggish, with the slightest addition of speed.

If the brunette thought that would be the end of possible troublesome things, she thought wrong. Because a certain redhead just seemed to love proving her otherwise.

"You cared for Murasakibara exceptionally well, Manai-san. I'm impressed," he began with that charming smile, yet she could feel something was coming.

 _"I wonder if you would care for me just as well?"_

...and that was the usual she so wished wasn't. He enjoyed the shades of red covering her cheeks, her flustered limegreen eyes that didn't know where to look and him knowing she would rather run and hide herself despite being unable to do so. Even with all those knowledges in her head, the same things happened every time.

"P-Please stop teasing me, Akashi-kun... You are very capable and I doubt you need someone to care for you like I do to Murasakibara-kun and Sat-chan to Daiki-kun, and Midorima-kun is just as capable," she tried to regain her composure, it wouldn't do to stay flustered long in the presence of the redhead.

In doing that and focusing on the smirking redhead before her, she failed to notice the reddening ears of a greenhead who happened to overhear (and certainly had _not_ been eavesdropping) her compliments of him as capable.

"I am quite hurt, Manai-san. Even with all that, I do wish for your attention," he responded with a smirk that was so fitting more than a smile ever would, in her opinion anyway.

When red started to cover her pale cheeks once more, the redhead chuckled, having decided the poor girl had had enough and so he added and finished with, "You're the _Secretary_ of the Student Council I lead after all."

The brunette knew she had been played, he had always done that. She had long realised her expressions entertained the male, yet she was too honest with her responses and nothing could change it, the pinkette said it was nice, it showed that she was sincere in everything she did.

Her response had been a silent nod, before she turned and pretended there was somewhere she needed to be, expertly ignoring the incredulous stare from the greenhead who had probably seen the whole interactions if he didn't hear, it was quite a scene after all: a blushing girl and the charismatic honour student.

And as if those weren't enough, there was the childhood friends bickering over what seemed to be unimportant but to the two of them, at first, it had been an apology from the pinkette for ratting him out, but then followed by a scolding that the should have showed up in the first place. Then it just escalated, as did the voice.

 _"You tore my favourite bunny doll!"_

 _"That was years ago, Satsuki! And I didn't forget you deflating my basketball after!"_

 _"I didn't broke it!"_

 _"It still counted."_

 _...and it continued._ Before anyone realised, they had been almost done and the area was nearly spotless and dust-free. The brunette made it a point to stick with Midorima or Murasakibara who would gave her less headaches.

"Kuroko-kun," she noted with slight delight as she saw the babyblue-haired boy in his quietness that she dearly missed at the moment, carrying a dust bin and was walking towards the stair, which meant he was heading to trash it.

The male offered her a nod before he continued on his way, it was enough for them both. They weren't really the type to speak more words than necessary.

"Was anyone there, Yume?" the tanned teen stopped by her side, looking around to see anyone she could be talking to, seeing no one.

"I don't see anyone," the pinkette answered for the both of them, she was also curious about whom her friend was smiling at, but there really was no one there.

Just for the sake of it, because she felt like returning what she received for the day, she turned to face her friend with a playful smile and matching tone as she answered,

"No one was. At least **not** one _you_ could see."

Needless to say, the two teenagers were seriously spooked and shuddered with chills clawing on their spines.

* * *

 _ **(1) Otsukare san, Otsukare sama:**_ _Thank you for your hard work. The former is more informal while the latter is formal. They are used to show appreciation for the efforts of others._

 _ **(2) Janken, janken-pon:**_ _Rock Paper Scissors game._

* * *

 _So yeah, how is it?_

 _Reviews are very much_ _appreciated!_

 _Next time, Yume and Momoi's first group lunch with their female classmates! What about Kise?_


End file.
